1. That society recognizes that the right to have children is a socially guaranteed right and not a duty; that this right finds its basis in the fact of social membership itself and, therefore, is not absolute; and that it is subject to the limiting conditions that affect all other socially grounded rights.
2. That the right to have children should be seen as the right to take advantage of the opportunity to function in parental capacity, where it is an underlying assumption of this notion that, in the normal course of events, this opportunity will arise because of the exercise of normal biological functions.
3. That the possibility of taking advantage of this opportunity may shift as the resources and abilities of society change.
4. That the right to have children (in the sense indicated) be seen as subject to certain preconditions.
5. That these preconditions center in the capability of individuals to make reasoned choices and to function in a parental role.
6. That society should assist handicapped persons, who have the capacity to parent, but who can exercise that capacity only with societal assistance.
7. That the concept of a family be defined functionally as a basic social unit that may include children.
8. That the child is entitled to the same respect and to the same treatment as all other persons.
9. That if developments in the domain of reproductive technology cannot sustain such a perspective, and if these developments reduce the child to the status of an object, or they require that those who are involved adopt an instrumentalistic outlook toward children, such developments should not occur.
10. That prospective parents should be counseled to exercise responsibility in having children.

1. That the profession of medicine should not necessarily be considered the only body involved in the development or delivery of techniques of assisted reproduction.
2. That medical exclusivity should extend only as far as it relates to matters that fall within the domain of medical practice as defined in terms of the physician-patient relationship.
3. That qualified physicians engaged in providing assistance in the realm of new reproductive technologies should not refuse to provide these services on the basis of criteria that involve discrimination.
4. That the techniques of assisted reproduction should be developed with due regard to the rights and the welfare of all members of society.
5. That these should only be employed with full awareness of the fact that the long-term consequences of such technology cannot as yet be foreseen.
6. That there should be a balanced societal and professional approach that would include an examination of the social forces that in some cases underlie the desire to have biologically related children.

1. That infertility be defined functionally as the inability of someone to engender children during a stage of their life when biologically this should be impossible.
2. That in keeping with this definition, infertility be seen as a condition of ill health.
3. That it be accepted that the significance of infertility as a condition of ill health is shaped by societal and cultural interpretations.
4. That in keeping with the association’s understanding of the nature of health, the treatment of infertility should be considered a health service.
5. That there should be coordinated and ethically, as well as scientifically, valid research on a national scale into the nature, causes, and means of prevention of human infertility.
6. That as a matter of fundamental principle, the development and availability of techniques of assisted reproduction should come as close as possible to allowing individuals who happen to be infertile to achieve biological parenthood the way in which it occurs in the normal course of events.
7. That the use of techniques of assisted reproduction should remain voluntary.
8. That access to socially funded programs of assisted reproduction should be determined solely by equitable criteria that find their basis in health reasons rooted in the health status of the individual; and that socially funded access should not become an instrument of furthering economic plans or privately held values, but should be in keeping with the rationale underlying access to existing health care services.
9. That the new reproductive technologies should never be seen as an avenue of first choice when it comes to having children, but should be evaluated in the light of alternatives open in the normal course of events.
10. That the development and use of these technologies should always preserve the dignity of the human person.

1. That the various methodologies currently being used in assisting reproduction be evaluated as to scientific validity and effectiveness.
2. That any new methodology or regimen of assisted reproduction be evaluated for scientific validity and ethical acceptability in the same way in which pharmaceuticals are currently evaluated before being recognized as acceptable in the health care setting.

1. That assisted reproductive services should be available to all members of society on an equitable basis.
2. That access to publicly funded assisted reproduction services be only on the condition that it is a health service and not a matter of private choice.
3. That if the need for access to these technologies is the result of a voluntary decision that reflects a matter of private choice and not the result of an attempt to correct an inequitable situation, the service should be privately funded.
4. That the criteria of access to assisted reproduction services should include the criteria that are considered socially appropriate for deciding whether applicants for adoptions will be deemed suitable parents in a given case.
5. That if the reason why certain people cannot have biological offspring is by its nature irremediable regardless of technology, then society cannot be expected to attempt to provide a remedy.

1. That gamete donation should be a privilege that is open to every adult and competent member of society, subject only to those medical criteria that are appropriate for determining the health status potential of the donated gametes.

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