[Extracorporeal fertilization and embryo transfer: a medico-ethical topic?].

In vitro fertilization and subsequent embryo transfer remains one of the most burning topical issues of medicine and medical ethics today. Like every individual ethical problem, extracorporeal fertilization initiated the question of the ethical and metaethical (anthropological) context of the origin of the problem and from which an answer may be forthcoming. The fact has to be taken into account that a uniform ethical culture is no longer possible on the grounds of the pluralism of creeds and world opinions. Ethically acceptable compromises have again and again to be looked for. However, the search for an ethical consensus of views runs the risk of being unable to keep pace with the dynamics of medical and technical progress.