Provincial and Territorial Laws Respond

AuthorMaureen McTeer
Pages63-72
[  ]
– chapter eight –
Provincial and Territorial Laws
Respond
INTRODUCTION
e use of IVF technology in human reproduction, signalled by the birth
of Louise Brown more than four decades ago, aected more than how
humans can now reproduce; it also altered who could reproduce. Society
has gone from IVF for a narrow band of physiological indications suf-
fered by married heterosexual couples and those in long-term or commit-
ted relationships, to its use in a myriad of medical and social situations.
Over the years, new family relationships have been recognized and have
led to new laws that better dene the legal status of children and parental
responsibilities towards them.
Today, in theory, those who are infertile and have reached the age of
majority are eligible to seek access to assisted human reproduction tech-
nologies or practices. Yet despite this apparent openness to all, assisted
reproductive services are limited in availability and access, which depends
on where a person or couple lives and their ability to pay. Financially
strapped provincial and territorial governments in Canada, whose
budgets are always stretched to the limit, have been unwilling, or unable,
to cover all the costs attributable to assisted human reproduction within
their health insurance schemes. e federal government has been absent
in terms of providing the provinces and territories with funds specically
designated to cover all costs of IVF and related fertility services.

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