In vitro fertilization (IVF) - Evangelization Station

3 Arguments Against IVF

Artificial Reproduction Is Not Procreation Q: The Catholic Church teaches that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is always wrong. I understand this to be the case when embryos are made and destroyed. But my doctor said that IVF could be used in a way that wouldn’t create and destroy “extra” embryos, even though it would lower […]

A CATHOLIC PRIMER on In Vitro Fertilization

Today, for a wide range of possible reasons, more and more couples are experiencing the pain of infertility. Many, understandably, deeply desire to have biological children and turn to biomedical technologies like in vitro fertilization (IVF) to try to fulfill their dreams. As Catholics, however, our faith teaches that these popular procedures are not the […]

15 Questions Catholics Ask About In Vitro Fertilization

And what does the Catholic Church say about it? Matthew McDonald Nation March 22, 2024 A court decision in a wrongful-death case in Alabama last month drew a spotlight to in vitro fertilization, an increasingly popular method of conceiving babies for the infertile. In vitro — Latin for “in glass” — fertilization brings together a man’s sperm and […]

The Catholic Church strictly forbids sperm donation, viewing it as morally objectionable due to its separation of the unitive and procreative aspects of marriage.

Key Teachings

Begotten Not Made: A Catholic View of Reproductive Technology

by John M. Haas, Ph.D., S.T.L. In IVF, children are engendered through a technical process, subjected to “quality control,” and eliminated if found “defective.” Infertility is a growing problem in the United States. And in true American fashion, there has been a corresponding growth in a “reproductive technologies industry” to provide a solution. It is […]

CNA Explains: What is the Catholic Church’s position on IVF?

Peter Pinedo, CNA Staff Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 17, 2025 On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump announced new efforts to expand access to IVF, which includes a deal with EMD Serono, a subsidiary of the Germany-based pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA, to slash the cost of some fertility drugs, as well as issuing guidance to employers to offer fertility benefits […]

Morally unacceptable

The Catholic Church teaches that IVF is morally unacceptable because it separates the marriage act from procreation and establishes the domination of technology over human life. The Church’s teaching is based on the 1987 Vatican document “Donum Vitae,” which distinguishes between treatments that assist the marital act in conceiving a child and those that replace the marital act. IVF is considered contrary to God’s plan for marriage and children, as it often involves the death or freezing of embryonic children. The Church emphasizes that the gift of human life must be actualized in marriage through the specific and exclusive acts of husband and wife, in accordance with the laws inscribed in their persons and in their union.

Forget IVF, Here’s a More Ethical Way to Treat Fertility

Katrina Trinko | Oct 17, 2025 Washington, DC There’s no doubt we have a fertility crisis. Currently, about 16% of married women in the U.S. struggle to get pregnant or avoid miscarriages, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Worldwide, about one in six people face infertility, according to the World Health […]