Policy implications of new reproductive technologies : social impact assessment and technology assessment as tools for policy analysis

Abstract

Infertility is a problem for many couples, and its incidence is increasing. Medical science has developed ways of overcoming infertility by the use of new reproductive technologies (NRTs). The use and/or development of NRTs raise social issues which strike at the very heart of what people believe about the sanctity and meaning of human life. This has meant that there is little consensus about “what should be done" about NRTs. This study examines the allied techniques of social impact assessment and technology assessment in terms of their usefulness as decision-making tools for policy makers. I concluded that all aspects of NRTs remain value judgements, and that social impact assessment and technology assessment did not, of themselves, provide any justification for restraints. Ultimately the question of what restraints are necessary remain a value judgement for society as a whole. However, social impact assessment and technology assessment remain useful techniques because they provide a clear focus of what the impacts of alternative courses of action are likely to be on different groups within society. For that reason, they are a useful component of policy-making involving complex social issues.