by Mandy Cox
In years past, it may have been unlikely that you would need to explain Church teaching in the area of fertility treatments. You may have not had the needed to study and understand these teachings; however, things are changing. The younger generation of employees are coming into the workforce at a time when large employers are paying for female employees to freeze their eggs so they can join the workforce early while maintaining the promise of children in the future. Some companies are paying for invitro fertilization in their health plans, with a growing number of states mandating these coverages. Even Catholic employees may be unaware of the Church’s teachings in this area and may be caught off guard by their employer refusing to pay for procedures that, on their surface, seem to promise the opportunity to bring life into this world.
With the new regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, the chance of these conversations happening in the workplace will dramatically increase. Leaders at Catholic organizations should take time to develop a response that affirms the good desires of your employee, provides a complete answer, and offers moral options to your employees.
Affirming the good
The desire for children is a great and natural good. The Church teaches that children are “the supreme gift of marriage.”. It is right and good that a couple desires to grow their family.
It is also appropriate that a couple facing infertility seeks answers to the heartache they face. Fertility is a sign of health in the body. When a couple is infertile, they should seek answers to the underlying conditions that cause infertility. “Research aimed at reducing human sterility is to be encouraged” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2375). As a Catholic employer, you have the opportunity to facilitate access to moral means to evaluate and treat the causes of infertility. (Check out this article).
Laying the foundation
The Church’s teachings on fertility treatments are tied to the larger teachings on the dignity of the human person, marriage, sexuality, and life.
First, each person is created in the image and likeness of God. This principle is the foundation for the charitable work of the Church. This is reflected in marriage and the dignity of each person requires that we respect each spouse.
Second, marriage is a sacred bond, a covenant. This teaching is reflected in all we do to support families and marriages. The love between husband and wife is more than mere biology (CCC 2361) but is a means of holiness (1643). This sexual relationship between spouses is “noble and honorable (2362), and all married couples must respect the two goods of married love, unity and procreation.
Finally, each person is a gift from the Creator. All that we do to serve others is founded on the principle that each person is a gift from God. In the family, each child is to be received as a gift from God. From the moment of conception, the person has the right to be respect (2378).
Drawing conclusions
With these principles in mind, we can evaluate the morality of fertility treatments.
Fertility treatments that seek to identify and treat underlying medical conditions, restoring health to the spouses, are morally good. These treatments respect the dignity of each spouse. They facilitate procreation with the normal conjugal act. And they predispose the spouses to receive children from God, if He chooses to bless them.
Fertility treatments that seek to create life outside the marital act pose grave moral challenges. First, they reduce the spouses to the biological material they donate for fertilization, sometimes even replacing one of the spouse’s gametes with material from someone outside the marriage. Second, they replace the sex act with medical procedures, at times with fertilization taking place with neither parent present. This violates the rights of each child “to be the fruit of a specific act of conjugal love of this parents” (2378).
Finally, while the desire for a child is a true longing of the human heart, “Give me children, or I shall die” cried Rachel to her husband, Jacob, no one has a right to another person. No person is owned or owed to another person, even her parents. To learn more about these challenges, read this post:,In Light of the Child – Evaluating the Ethics of Artificial Reproductive Technologies | Catholic Benefits Association.
Offering support
Most couples facing infertility are not aware of the moral challenges that accompany artificial reproduction technologies. Your employee may be surprised that your organization doesn’t help with IVF, given the pro-life, pro-family stance of the Catholic Church. They may be defensive or distraught to find that their health plan won’t pay for prescribed medical treatments.
The first thing to do is listen and thank them for sharing this struggle with you. Asking them questions about their understanding of what is involved in artificial reproduction can help to identify whether they are aware of all that is involved. Finding common ground with them and affirming their good desires helps to set a mutual starting point. Describing why some approaches to treat infertility go against the core tenants of our faith, the faith that drives the good work of your organization, respects their right to know and understand this teaching. Finally, offering them resources to moral health care options, such as NaProTechnology, gives them answers and hope.
You may need support as well. Identify someone at your organization that is willing to participate in these conversations or assist you in developing an answer that affirms the Catholic identity of your organization. Find resources that are available in your area, or even telehealth resources like MyCatholicDoctor, that provide moral treatment options. You can even reach out to CBA to resources and support.
Finally, keep in mind that it is a precious honor when someone shares their struggles with you. Trust that God will provide the words you need to say in the moment.
photo from FreePik