Present dissertation deals with issues of biomedical assistance in procreation. Such assistance (which includes methods of assisted reproduction – MAR) is to be defined as activity of physicians and embryologists aimed to help couples who are unable to conceive children by the means of sexual intercourse. Firstly; the dissertation offers insight into historical and present legal grounds, while it emphasises the provisions of Slovenian Infertility treatment and procedures of biomedically-assisted procreation act (ZZNPOB, adopted in 2000) being assessed and compared with provisions of later adopted Act on quality and safety of human tissues and cells, for the purposes for medical treatment (ZKVČTC, 2007) as well with provisions of Act regulating the obtaining and transplantation of human body parts for the purposes of medical treatment (ZPPDČT, 2015). Since highlighted provisions lack mutual coherence (and legal certainty), single normative setting (achieved by ammending ZZNPOB) is proposed (being compliant with specifics of MAR). Secondly; ethical and international law aspects are covered within the present dissertation, providing a brief study on ethical theories, sources of bioethics and (international) law, as well as analysis on principles on biomedical ethics. Certain principles (beneficence, non-maleficence, utility) are being discussed through evaluation of clinical data (of Reproductive Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana), which confirm that conditions for MAR treatments in Slovenia are well regulated, especially in terms of: i) maximum age limit for women (43 years); and ii) six consecutive cycles of MAR treatment being available under medical insurance. It is confirmed that both conditions facilitate treatments which are executed within the limits of medical effectiveness (futility level). In the discursive part, four major problems of MAR are approached. (1) In fields of embryo, limited status is proposed, while a dignity right is to be granted to embryo in relation to MAR treatments. (2) In terms of persons being entitled to MAR treatments, arguments are listed in favour of legislative changes to include women in same-sex partnership, while the positions of single mothers and men in same-sex partnership are to be furtherly evaluated. (3) In posthumous treatments and surrogacy agreements, no legislative changes are proposed. (4) The same relates to the questions of treatment providers and financing, while common framework for reporting and publishing of results is to be established to avoid commercially-driven abuse or misinterpretation of data. In terms of core hypotheses, which are being confirmed, the dissertation acknowledges that normative grounds are to be revised (through changes and amendments of legislation) taking into account the newly proposed definition of a right to MAR treatments, as a personal right, falling within the scope of private and family life (Article 8 of ECHR, Article 34 of Slovenia).
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