News that was published in the Telegraph said that the World Health Organization would change its definition of disabilities to classify people without a sexual partner as “infertile.” It might seem odd at first, but there are enough logical reasons for it.
This new categorization means that both heterosexual and gay single men and women, who are seeking in vitro fertilization to have a child, will receive the same priority as couples. This is important because it will make access to public funds for IVF available to all.
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Of course, not everyone is pleased with the new definition. The extension of the disability definition has made some people angry because they think that the medical organization who sets global standards has gone too far this time.
There are also more traditional minded people, who don’t believe that everyone should be able to have children. These people think that only a man and a woman should be able to make a family.
A pro-life activist Josephine Quintavalle, who is also the director of Comment on Reproductive Ethics said on The Telegraph that she thinks this new definition is absolute nonsense, that is sidelining the biological process and significance of natural intercourse between a man and a woman.
On the opposite, WHO’s doctor David Adamson, who is also one of the creators of the new standards, thinks that the new definition creates medical equality. He believes that now all the individuals have the same rights to have a family, that includes both heterosexual and gay people. This is a significant difference for all humankind, which hopefully makes us a more loving and caring society.
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The American Disabilities Act defines a person with a disability as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. As the American Disabilities Act does not mention all the different disabilities, the new WHO guidelines could apply to it as well. When you start to think about it, having a child is a major life activity for many people.
Doctor David Adamson, who is one of the creators of the new WHO guidelines, thinks that the biggest win with this new standard is that every individual can choose to reproduce, whether or not they have a partner.
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He also adds that for countries, where the government provides the healthcare and public funding for IVF procedures, this new change could have significant ramifications. Doctor Adamson believes that this sets a legal standard that applies internationally.
At the moment, the World Health Organization has not made the new standard official yet, but it seems that they are moving further and further with this project. When the new guidelines go official, they can have huge effects on people and their reproductive activities. We just have to wait and see how is the future going to be.
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Source: Telegraph
