Current Jewish perspectives on maternal identity

Abstract

Infertility counseling is a specialized field that will continue to grow in coming years as the impact of infertility and its treatment is documented more in terms of emotional, physical, social and life consequences. We report here on more recent developments in halakha (Jewish law and ethics) that are of importance to Orthodox Jewish infertile couple considering donor gametes or surrogacy. Counselors should anticipate issues that may arise in the future and assist couples in their efforts to address them. Good medical practice values the importance of understanding the patient’s individual concerns and values, including the complex psychological, sociological and cultural context in which they experience their infertility. Good counseling anticipates and addresses future problems about which patients might not currently be aware, and requires up-to-date authoritative information.

Chinese abstract

不孕不育咨询作为一种专业领域，因不孕造成的影响，在未来几年内其咨询量将会继续增多，而对不孕症的治疗也会在情感、生理、社会、生活质量等方面加以关注。我们在这里报道了更多关于“哈拉卡”（犹太律法和伦理）最近的发展，这对正统犹太不孕夫妇考虑捐赠配子或是代孕是十分重要的。咨询者们应预见到未来可能出现的问题并尽可能帮助不孕夫妇解决这些问题。良好的医疗实践活动应该重视对病人个体及其价值观的关注，包括关注不孕患者复杂的心理、社会和文化背景。良好的咨询可以预见并解决患者未来可能出现而目前没有意识到的问题，同时需要最新的权威信息支持。

• Assisted reproductive technology
• ethics
• Jewish