Conscience clause and its potential applicability in reproductive medicine

The advent of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) reshaped medical, social, and cultural landscapes and, most notably, led to the emergence of planned lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) families. Nevertheless, LGBTQ persons have had for many years limited rights and faced discrimination in various domains of social life, including reproductive medicine. Sometimes, national regulations may give specific rights to these patients that can enter into conflict with the personal belief system of the attending physicians. Physicians can refuse to perform certain procedures on religious or moral grounds unless the refusal harms the patient, which can be avoided by applying the conscience clause. Based on a recent United States court case, this article will discuss the concept and analyze the application of the conscience clause in ARTs used by atypical family cores.