Public attitudes in Japan toward the reproductive use of gametes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the interests of the Japanese general public in the reproductive use of in vitro derived (IVD)-gametes. Methods: We conducted an online survey and obtained answers from 3096 respondents. Results: More than half of the respondents agreed with the reproductive use of IVD-gametes by infertile heterosexual married couples but disagreed with the same use by unmarried or homosexual individuals. Nearly 70.0% disagreed with the use for designing a baby. Discussion: In Japan at present, the use of IVD-gametes that deviate from societal values regarding reproduction and family prescribed by the conventional marriage system is unlikely to be accepted. It is also unlikely to be accepted for non-treatment purposes in reproduction.

Keywords

• assisted reproductive technologies
• ethics
• human-induced pluripotent stem cells
• in vitro derived-gametes
• in vitro gametogenesis
• public survey