Review of assisted reproduction techniques, laws, and regulations in Muslim countries

Abstract

Background: Fourteen Muslim countries were explored for available national laws, regulations, and guidelines concerning assisted reproduction techniques (ART). These documents were studied with total consideration of the ethical and religious principles followed by Islamic religion. This study found different types of legal documents issued by legislatives authorities, ethical committees, or professional bodies. Documents reviewed are directly related to assisted reproduction techniques medical use, access, or research in the field of ART. Main body of the abstract: Most of the studied documents showed various degrees of deficiencies concerning legal or ethical protections and considerations. Certain documents that were examined need to be updated or amended in order to follow the continuous medical progress. The research also showed certain difficulty of legislating in countries characterized by multiculturalism and different ethical and religious traits and beliefs. Recently, Muslim legislators have made many efforts. However, the spread of legal documents among the Muslim countries is partial in volume and nature. Short conclusion: The comparison of the content with international documents shows us that most of assisted reproductions legal documents in use in the studied countries demonstrate numerous deficiencies in term of structure, nature, and the coverage of controversial subjects.