A new IVF ‘lottery’, set to be launched this month, will allow members of the public to ‘win’ a baby after purchasing a £20 ticket online.
The game, introduced by charity and fertility advisor To Hatch, was recently given permission to go ahead by The Gambling Commission and is set to run once a month, although this could be extended to once every two weeks.
Winners will receive free fertility treatment worth £25,000 at one of the country’s best fertility clinics. In the event that IVF treatment is unsuccessful,other treatments such as reproductive surgery or even surrogacy will be offered.
The lottery places no restriction on those who are permitted to purchase a ticket and is open to singles, the elderly and both heterosexual and homosexual couples.
Camille Strachan, founder of To Hatch, stated that the lottery was designed to help couples who have been struggling with infertility for years and could not afford the £5000 per session fertility treatment.
However, the game has already attracted criticism on the grounds that it “demeans” the nature of human reproduction, and is likely to be opposed by a number of religious groups.
Josephine Quintavalle from Comment on Reproductive Ethics (CORE) stated that:
“We have the greatest sympathy for those who have difficulty in conceiving and there should be proper investment in the United Kingdom in understanding and addressing the causes of infertility, which are most frequently associated with age, body weight and other lifestyle issues.
“But this latest initiative, turning the process of reproduction into a buy-your-ticket lottery, is absolutely unacceptable and quite possibly breaks European Law on the commercialisation of human tissue.
“By all accounts this Lottery offers not just a chance to have IVF treatment but also promises access to surrogate wombs, spare embryos, egg and sperm donors. It is in this area where an immediate investigation should be demanded. It is surely not legal to pay £20 to have access to another woman's womb?
“The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority should be questioned immediately as to their position on this latest trivialisation of human reproduction and it is to be hoped that questions will be raised immediately in Parliament.”
Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster, Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, said:
“These proposals cheapen the value of life and raise incredible ethical questions.
“Whilst we sympathise immensely with those who are suffering from infertility, it is extraordinary that people are thinking that the answer lies in the purchase of a £20 ticket.
“Medical professionals should be using the highest ethical standards to test the possible causes of infertility and provide access to good information and advice.
“The charity is not only giving people a false sense of hope, but has failed to think about the well-being of the unborn child. The lottery, which places no restraint on who is or isn’t permitted to participate, is not in the interest of children or society.”
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