Introduction

Reproduction and Morality 3

The preceding theoretical example is not as far-fetched as it may seem. As a matter of fact, it can perhaps serve to illustrate a rather common problem. We know that in every society there are men and women whose sexual intercourse cannot possibly lead to conceptions. They may be too young or too old to reproduce, they may suffer from sterility, or they may prefer members of their own sex as sexual partners. In any case, they all face the same task - developing a sexual morality without reference to reproduction. In the past, the number of people confronted with this situation was always relatively small. For the majority of the population, sex and reproduction remained firmly linked, whether they liked it or not. However, in recent decades the invention of effective contraceptives has made non-reproductive sex a practical possibility for everyone. On the other hand, couples are now also able to reproduce by means of assisted reproductive technology, i.e., without any direct sexual involvement at all. As a result of these developments, sex and reproduction have, once and for all, become separate issues, raising different moral questions.