Course details

General
FacultyHealth Sciences
DepartmentMedicine
Education level2nd / Post-graduate
Course codePMHRA001Trimester1
Course titleBioethics in Human Reproduction
Independent teaching activitiesHours per weekECTS
Lectures1
Exercises3
Total45
CoursetypeGeneral knowledge, skill acquiring
Prerequisite coursesNone
Teaching and assessment languageEnglish
Course URLBioethics in Human Reproduction

Learning outcomes

Aim

Upon the completion of this module, the post-graduate student will possess the basic principles of Bioethics of Reproduction. He / she will have the chance to get in touch with the main legal and bioethical issues and dilemmas concerning the beginning of life, the legal protection of the human embryo and fetus, the different methods of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) and the bioethical issues arising by their application, i.e. surrogacy, post mortem fertilization, donors’ anonymity etc.

Knowledge

Upon completion of the course the participants will possess:

    • legal knowledge regarding the protection of human life and the distinction between human beings and embryos
    • legal knowledge of the current Greek legislation on Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR)
    • legal knowledge of the relevant to reproduction provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and of the Oviedo Convention
    • knowledge of the relevant to reproduction jurisprudence of national courts and of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
Skills

The course participants upon completion will be able to answer to main bioethical questions related to Reproduction such as:

  • what is the difference between human being – embryo – fetus – genetic material?
  • when does a human being begins to exist for the law?
  • does the embryo have a right to life?
  • is the embryo protected under ECHR article 2?
  • which are the general terms and conditions for the application of the MAR methods?
  • are there any ambiguous issues regarding certain MAR methods?
  • is there a need for a common European policy regarding MAR?

Syllabus

  • Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR)
  • Beginning of Life
  • Embryo protection
  • Distinction between human – embryo
  • Law / Regulation
  • Legal and Ethical dilemmas
  • Reproductive Technology
  • Reproductive Tourism
  • European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) jurisprudence
  • common European policy regarding MAR

 


Teaching and learning methods – evaluation

Teaching methodsFace to face
Distance learning
Use of information and
communication technologies (ICT)

  • Use of information technology for teaching - Moodle Virtual learning environment (VLE) (asynchronous learning)

  • Use of information technology for clinical training - Moodle Virtual learning environment (VLE) (asynchronous learning, wikis, Online Discussion Fora, Educational Portfolio)
  • Use of information technology for the communication with the post-graduate students (e-mail, direct messages through Moodle)
Module structureWork Hours per SemesterActivity
Lectures 40
Exercises (Quiz) 10
Exercises (Online discussion fora) 25
Exercises (Study relevant papers) 20
Final assignment30
Overall work for the course125
Assessment Methods
  • Final assignment, in English, up to 2,500 words, that will be submitted after the completion of the module

  • Knowledge evaluation during the beginning and the end of the module through short-answer questions and short assays

  • Multiple-choice questions on a weekly basis

  • Evaluation of the fora participation for each post-graduate student during the online weeks

Recommended Bibliography

Andornο R. Biomedicine and international human rights law: in search of a global consensus, Bulletin of the World Health Organisation 2002, p. 962.

 

Burns S. The Law of Assisted Reproduction, Bloomsbury Professional, 2012, p. 546-548

ESHRE, A policy audit on Fertility, Analysis of 9 EU Countries, 2017

ESHRE Reproduction and Society Task Force, The costs and consequences of assisted reproductive technology: an economic perspective, Human Reproduction Update, Volume 16, Issue 6, 1 November 2010, Pages 603–613

ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 13: The welfare of the child in medically assisted reproduction, Human Reproduction 2007, pp.2585 et seq.

ESHRE, Ethical issues related to multiple pregnancies in medically assisted reproduction, Human Reproduction 2003, pp. 1976 et seq.

Foudedaki, Human reproduction and civil medical liability, Sakkoulas Athens-Thessaloniki 2007

Kounougeri-Manoledaki, Medically Assisted Reproduction: Redefining the meaning of family, in: Publications of medical law and bioethics 15, Medical Assistance on Human Reproduction: 10 years of Law’s 3089/2002 application, Sakkoulas Publications, 2013, pp. 35 et seq.

Μ. Milapidou, Physical Integrity and assisted reproduction, Publications of medical law and bioethics 14, Sakkoulas Publications, 2011

Pennings G. Family balancing as a morally acceptable application of sex selection, Human Reproduction 1996, Issue 11, p. 2339–2343

Pennings G., de Wert G., Shenfield F., Cohen J., Tarlatzis B., Devroey P. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 15: Cross-border reproductive care, Human Reproduction 2008, Vol. 23, I. 10, p. 2182

Robertson J. (2004). Procreative liberty and harm to offspring in assisted reproduction, American Journal of Law and Medical, p. 24

Symeonidou-Kastanidou, Legal issues regarding surrogacy in Greece, BIOETHICA 2018, pp. 9 et seq

Symeonidou-Kastanidou (co-authored with L. Brunet, Th. Chortara, D. Coester – Waltjen, M.-P. Constantini, K. Diedrich, N. Dimopoulos, R. Fragkou, L. Gianaroli, E. Jackson, K. Kipouridou, N. Koumoutzis, M. Milapidou, J. Olofsson, Th. Papasissi, G. Pennings, H. Rosenau, E. Ryrstedt, Ch. Sachinidou, Ch. Sardeli, B. Tarlatzis, A. Tsalidis, M. Vasileiou), Medically Assisted Reproduction Reproduction: Towards a Common European Legislation?,Publications in Medical Law and Bioethics 21 II, Sakkoulas Publications Athens-Thessaloniki, 2015, 500 pages

Symeonidou-Kastanidou et al., Assisted Reproduction in Europe: Social, ethical and legal issues, Publications in Medical Law and Bioethics 20 II, Sakkoulas Publications Athens-Thessaloniki 2015

Stoll J. Surrogacy Arrangements and Legal Parenthood, Swedish Law in a Comparative Context, Uppsala University, 2013, p. 99 et seq.;

Tarlatzis, The effect of legislation on clinical application of medically assisted reproduction, in: Publications of medical law and bioethics 15, Medical assistance on human reproduction: 10 years of Law’s 3089/2002 application, Sakkoulas Publications, 2013, pp. 5 et seq.

Trokanas, Human Reproduction, Individual autonomy and its limits, Publications of medical law and bioethics 13, Sakkoulas Publications, 2011

Van Hoof/G. Pennings, The consequences of S.H. and Others v. Austria for legislation on gamete donation in Europe: an ethical analysis of the European Court of Human Rights judgments, Reprod BioMed Online 2012, pp. 667 επ.

Dondorp W, De Wert G, Pennings G, Shenfield F, Devroey P, Tarlatzis B, Barri P, Diedrich K. ESHRE Task Force on ethics and Law 20: sex selection for non-medical reasons. Hum Reprod. 2013 Jun;28(6):1448-54. doi: 10.1093/humrep/det109. Epub 2013 Apr 11

Dondorp W, de Wert G, Pennings G, Shenfield F, Devroey P, Tarlatzis B, Barri P, Diedrich K. Oocyte cryopreservation for age-related fertility loss. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law, Hum Reprod. 2012 May;27(5):1231-7. doi: 10.1093/humrep/des029. Epub 2012 Feb 21

de Wert G, Dondorp W, Pennings G, Shenfield F, Devroey P, Tarlatzis B, Barri P, Diedrich K. Intrafamilial medically assisted reproduction. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law, Hum Reprod. 2011 Mar;26(3):504-9. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deq383. Epub 2011 Jan 1

ESHRE Capri Workshop Group. Europe the continent with the lowest fertility.Hum Reprod Update. 2010 Nov-Dec;16(6):590-602. doi: 10.1093/humupd/dmq023. Epub 2010 Jul 4

Pennings G, de Wert G, Shenfield F, Cohen J, Tarlatzis B, Devroey P. Providing infertility treatment in resource-poor countries. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law, Hum Reprod. 2009 May;24(5):1008-11. doi: 10.1093/humrep/den503. Epub 2009 Feb 3

De Wert G., Dondorp W., Shenfield F., Devroey P., Tarlatzis B., Barri P., Diedrich K., Provoost V., Pennings G. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 22: Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, Human Reproduction 2014, Vol .29, Issue 8, p. 1614-1615.

Dondorp W, De Wert G, Pennings G, Shenfield F, Devroey P, Tarlatzis B, Barri P, Diedrich K, Eichenlaub-Ritter U, Tüttelmann F, Provoost V. ESHRE Task Force on Ethics and Law 21: genetic screening of gamete donors: ethical issues. Hum Reprod. 2014 Jul;29(7):1353-9. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deu111. Epub 2014 May 23

Voultsos P, Raikos N, Vasileiadis N, Spiliopoulou C, Tarlatzis B. Ethico-legal issues related to ovarian tissue transplantation. Med Sci Law. 2016 Oct;56(4):293-304. doi: 10.1177/0025802416657685. Epub 2016 Jul 10.PMID:27381404

de Wert G, Pennings G, Clarke A, Eichenlaub-Ritter U, van El CG, Forzano F, Goddijn M, Heindryckx B, Howard HC, Radojkovic D, Rial-Sebbag E, Tarlatzis BC, Cornel MC; Human germline gene editing. Recommendations of ESHG and ESHRE. European Society of Human Genetics and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. Hum Reprod Open. 2018 12;2018(1):hox025. doi: 1093/hropen/hox025. eCollection 2018

Eur J Hum Genet. 2018 Apr;26(4):445-449. doi: 10.1038/s41431-017-0076-0. Epub 2018 Jan 12.

de Wert G, Heindryckx B, Pennings G, Clarke A, Eichenlaub-Ritter U, van El CG, Forzano F, Goddijn M, Howard HC, Radojkovic D, Rial-Sebbag E, Dondorp W, Tarlatzis BC, Cornel MC; Responsible innovation in human germline gene editing. Background document to the recommendations of ESHG and ESHRE. European Society of Human Genetics and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

Hum Reprod Open. 2018 Jan 12;2018(1):hox024. doi: 10.1093/hropen/hox024. eCollection 2018.PMID: 31490459

Eur J Hum Genet. 2018 Apr;26(4):450-470. doi: 10.1038/s41431-017-0077-z. Epub 2018 Jan 12.

Fauser BCJM, Boivin J, Barri PN, Tarlatzis BC, Schmidt L, Levy-Toledano R. Beliefs, attitudes and funding of assisted reproductive technology: Public perception of over 6,000 respondents from 6 European countries.

PLoS One. 2019 Jan 25;14(1):e0211150. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211150. eCollection 2019

Further information concerning the national legislation on assisted reproduction of seven European Countries, (France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom) can be found in http://repro.law.auth.gr


Tutor

Basil C Tarlatzis


Teaching Staff for Bioethics of Reproduction