Reproductive medicine: expert opinions and recommendations

On this page you will find a compilation of expert opinions and recommendations, mainly relating to the legal regulations on reproductive medicine.

Reproductive medicine raises ethical, legal and social questions that are the subject of intense debate at national and international level. Below you will find a compilation of expert opinions and recommendations.you will find important contributions to the debate from other countries, and
international aspects

Under ‘Assisted reproductive medicine’, you will find expert opinions and guidelines relating to the legal regulations on reproductive medicine. The topics covered range from sperm donation to genetic modification of embryos and the collection of data on couples and individuals who travel abroad for fertility procedures.

Expert opinions and guidelines prepared with regard to the approval of egg donation are available under the keyword ‘egg donation’.

Under ‘Pre-implantation diagnosis (PID)’, you will find expert opinions on various aspects of pre-implantation diagnosis (PID), in other words, genetic testing of an embryo fertilised outside the body.

Under the tab ‘Links’ (see 'Further Information'), you will find important contributions to the debate from other countries, and international aspects.

Assisted reproductive medicine

• The suitability of the concept of the well-being of the child in limiting assisted reproductive techniques (2023)

  Expert opinion by emeritus Prof. Kurt Seelmann, Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF510.24 kB21 August 2023

• Transnational reproductive mobility from Switzerland - Abstract in English (2021)

  PDF114.24 kB12 November 2021

• Transnational reproductive mobility from Switzerland (2021)

  Report by Dr. Veronika Siegl, Dr. Christine Bigler, Dr. Tina Büchler, Laura Perler, Prof. Dr. Carolin Schurr, University of Bern (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF762.60 kB4 March 2021

• Rights to insurance benefits under compulsory health insurance (2020)

  Expert opinion by emeritus Prof. Kurt Seelmann, Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF588.77 kB12 November 2021

• Sperm Donation (2019)

  Opinion No. 32/2019 of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (in German, also available in French)

  PDF295.38 kB12 August 2021

• Access to reproductive medicine for all? (2018)

  Review by emeritus Prof. Kurt Seelmann, Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF821.60 kB30 May 2018

• Social Egg Freezing - ethical reflections (2017)

  Opinion No. 28/2017 of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics

  PDF1.81 MB16 November 2021

• Gene editing in human embryos (2016)

  Gene editing in human embryos (2016) (PDF, 1590 kB, 12.08.2021) Opinion No. 25/2016 of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (in German, also available in French or Italian)

  PDF1.63 MB3 June 2016

• Medically assisted reproduction: Ethical considerations and recommendations for the future (2013)

  Opinion No. 22/2013 of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics

  PDF289.64 kB30 November 2013

• Review of child welfare and the RMA (2012)

  Sociological review by Dr Heidi Simoni, Marie Meierhofer Institute for Children, Zurich (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF2.48 MB21 January 2013

Egg donation

• Need for legislative action if egg donation is approved (2023)

  Legal review by Prof. Berhard Rütsche, University of Lucerne (in German) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF798.19 kB27 July 2023

• Egg donation. Ethical and legal considerations (2022)

  Opinion No. 41/2022 of the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (in German, also available in French)

  PDF339.93 kB11 October 2023

• Medical risks of egg cell donation (2022)

  Expert opinion by Dr Isabelle Bartram and Taleo Stüwe on behalf of biorespect (German only)

  PDF504.46 kB29 June 2022

• Egg donation in Switzerland, lex lata and lex ferendam (2013, updated in 2014)

  Legal review by Prof. Andrea Büchler, University of Zurich (in German, available also in French) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF569.51 kB17 June 2014

• Egg Donation and IVF with Donated Eggs: Lessons to be Learned from other Countries (2014)

  Sociological review by Nolwenn Bühler, Lic. phil., University of Zurich (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF1.61 MB5 September 2014

• Maximum age for assisted reproductive techniques in women (2014)

  Brief medical review by Dr Dorothea Wunder, MD, PD, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF110.83 kB10 September 2014

Pre-implantation diagnosis (PID)

• Brief medical review on PGD indications (2023)

  Expert opinion by Prof. Isabel Filges, Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF157.08 kB12 March 2024

• Guidelines for the regulation of pre-implantation genetic diagnostics in the Reproductive Medicine Act (PGD guidelines; 2022)

  Guidelines published by the Swiss National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (in German, also available in French or Italian)

  PDF272.85 kB29 June 2022

• What argues against the use of surplus informationin pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and wherecould a restrictive regulation be localised? (2021)

  (PDF, XX kB, Datum) Expert opinion by Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Kurt Seelmann, Basel (in German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF345.81 kB19 January 2022

• SAMS recommendations on preimplantation genetic testing PGT (2020)

  Medical-ethical guidelines of the Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences

  PDF1.15 MB12 August 2021

• Societal implications of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. An overview of the results of relevant empirical studies (2016)

  Sociological review by Prof. Thomas Lemke and Jonas Rüppel, Dipl.-Soz., Dipl.-Psych., Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, November 2016 (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF649.55 kB20 December 2016

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and discrimination: the relationship between the partial lifting of the ban on pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and the risk of social discrimination (2016)

  Legal review by Prof. Kurt Pärli, University of Basel and Tarek Naguib, lic. iur., ZHAW School of Management and Law (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF548.58 kB30 November 2016

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and eugenics, part two (2014)

  Review by Prof. Kurt Seelmann and Dr Daniela Demko PD, LL.M. Eur., Universities of Lucerne and Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF167.09 kB1 February 2014

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and eugenics, part one (2013)

  Review by Prof. Kurt Seelmann and Dr Daniela Demko PD, LL.M. Eur., Universities of Lucerne and Basel (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF649.11 kB1 January 2013

• Regulating PGD: an ethical perspective (2013)

  Ethical review by Prof. Peter Schaber, Center for Ethics, University of Zurich (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF261.51 kB31 January 2013

• Should pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) be permissible under the same conditions as prenatal diagnosis? (2012)

  Ethical review by Markus Zimmermann-Acklin, Th.D., PD, University of Fribourg (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF33.40 kB31 October 2012

• Compatibility of in vitro genetic and morphological investigations of embryos with Art. 119 para. 2 let. c of the Federal Constitution (2007)

  Review by the Federal Office of Justice (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF1.07 MB22 January 2008

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis II – specific issues associated with statutory regulation and HLA typing (2007)

  NCE opinion no. 14/2007 of the National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF185.82 kB30 November 2007

• Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis I (2005)

  NCE opinion no. 10/2005 of the National Advisory Commission on Biomedical Ethics (German only) (commissioned by the FOPH)

  PDF286.40 kB1 December 2005

Further information

• Links

  Germany

  Deutscher Ethikrat

  • Gemeinsame Erklärung zur Ethik von Eingriffen in die menschliche Keimbahn (2020, also available in English)
  • Eingriff in die menschliche Keimbahn (2019)
  • Embryospende, Embryoadaption und elterliche Verantwortung (2016)
  • Präimplantationsdiagnostik (2011)

  Leopoldina

  • Neubewertung des Schutzes von In-vitro-Embryonen in Deutschland (2021)
  • Fortpflanzungsmedizin in Deutschland – für eine zeitgemässe Gesetzgebung (2019)
  • Chancen und Grenzen des genome editing (2015)
  • Präimplantationsdiagnostik (PID) (2011)

  France

  Agence de la biomédecine

  • Avis du Conseil d’orientation : les modèles embryonnaires (2023)
  • Information sur la santé des personnes nées après une assistance médicale à la procréation (brochure d’information) (sans date)
  • Rapport médicale et scientifique
  • Rapport sur l'application de la loi de bioéthique (2018)
  • Encadrement juridique international dans les différents domaines de la bioéthique Rapport sur l’application de la loi de bioéthique (2018)

  UK

  The Nuffield Council on Bioethics

  • Human stem cell-based embryos: A review of ethical and governance questions (2024)
  • Surrogacy Law in the UK: ethical considerations (2023)
  • Egg freezing in the UK (2020)
  • Genome editing and human reproduction: social and ethical issues (report 2018)
  • Human embryo culture: Discussions concerning statutory time limit for maintaining human embryos in culture in light of some recent scientific developments (2017)
  • Genome editing: an ethical review (2016)
  • Donor conception: ethical aspects of information sharing (Report 2013)
  • Novel techniques for the prevention of mitochondrial DNA disorder: an ethical review (2012)

  Council of Europe

  • Fertility preservation: A guide for people facing an illness or life events that may affect their fertility (2021)
  • Donation of Oocytes, a guide for women to support informed decisions (2018)

  USA

  The National Academy of Science, Engineering, Medicine

  • In Vitro-derived Human Gametes as a Reproductive Technology (2023)
  • Heritable Human Genome Editing (2020)
  • Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance (2017)

• Legislation

Further information