Joseph N. Ogar et al / International Journal of Biomedical and Advance Research 2018; 9(9): 310-315. 310 IJBAR (2018) 09 (09) www.ssjournals.com International Journal of Biomedical and Advance Research ISSN: 2229-3809 (Online); 2455-0558 (Print) Journal DOI: https://doi.org/10.7439/ijbar CODEN: IJBABN Review Article Issues related to infertility in Africa: An ethical scan Joseph N. Ogar, Nwoye Leonard and Samuel Akpan Bassey * Department of Philosophy, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria QR Code *Correspondence Info: Samuel Akpan Bassey Department of Philosophy, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria *Article History: Received: 04/09/2018 Revised: 11/09/2018 Accepted: 11/09/2018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7439/ijbar.v9i9.4898 Abstract For many individuals, having offspring is a definitive dream. Shockingly, however, for a few, the problem of infertility can be to a great degree disastrous and annihilating to their tentative dreams. Infertility especially within African context is a hot matter issue and quite plaguing to social relations and marital institution. In Sub-Saharan Africa for instance, high esteem is set on children and the individuals who infertile extraordinarily stigmatized. This has lead many in need of children to resort to some unethical, degrading things and approaches not minding weather it‟s natural or unnatural against all odds. There have seems to be lot embracement of science and technology as regards this issue which has raised much ethical questions. It is the concern of this paper to critically x-ray bioethical issues such as artificial womb, artificial insemination, surrogacy, sperm and eggs donation which are issues caused by infertility. Keywords: Infertility, Biotechnology, Artificial insemination, surrogacy. 1. Introduction In our part of the world (Nigeria), the term marriage is almost synonymous with procreation, such that once two persons of opposite sex come together in matrimony, what should readily follow is childbirth. And after two to three years if nothing happens, there will be serious agitation and names calling which includes- barrenness, infertility and witchcraft on mostly female spouse. To evade this derogatory and disdainful treatment meted to couples without children has led biotechnology researchers to trying their minds on new things in attempt to solving the problem of infertility, bareness and childlessness. Artificial womb and the practice of artificial insemination which is now rampant in many clinics and hospital in countries like United States of America, Germany, New Zealand, Japan etc, are results. Biotechnology researchers are trying hard to remedy the problems of infertility and childlessness among couple. Although, this is heavy criticized on many grounds such as depersonalizing reproduction by separating genetic, gestation, and social parenthood, yet the problem of surrogacy is still on the increase in our today‟s world. It has further become business in that sperm and eggs are no more being donated freely for humanitarian sake but sold and bought for cash [1]. It is the concern of this paper to critically x-ray bioethical issues such as artificial womb, artificial insemination, surrogacy, and sperm and eggs donation. 2. The commonness of infertility Infertility is characterized as the insufficiency to conceive pregnancy after a sensible time of sex with no contraceptive measures taken [2]. The terms sterility and Infertility are once in a while utilized equally and sometimes defined distinctively. In the Spanish writing, the meaning of the word sterility is the problem to realize pregnancy, while the term infertility is utilized when pregnancy develops yet is stalled eventually; thus, the term is utilized as an equivalent word of intermittent miscarriage [3]. Despite what might be expected, in the English writing the term infertile alludes to a couple that fails in accomplishing pregnancy, either as a result of the difficulty to conclude pregnant through natural means (sterility) or at whatever point the possible outcomes exist however pregnancy does not happen (sub fertility) or if pregnancy develops but rather does not prompt a live infant [4]. Conversely, the fertile populace is characterized as the individuals who become pregnant after some sensible time