The ethical sub-project is an accompanying research project on ethical, legal, social and cultural issues in connection with fertility protection for different social groups. The project will therefore focus in particular on the monitoring and normative evaluation of modern fertility protection technologies. The aim of the project is to gain a systematic and in-depth knowledge of the ethical, social and normative challenges associated with the improvement of existing and the development of new innovative methods of fertility protection.

Several aspects are taken into account in the project:

• Technology assessment in connection with benefits and risks for users of the technologies and their social environment
• issues of informed consent, i.e. information and consent
• Responsible handling of personal information, data and body materials
• issues of social and familial pressure on individual decision-making in the field of reproductive medicine
• Challenges posed by different international and national regulatory frameworks
• Issues of discrimination against minority groups in access to reproductive medicine

This research on the ethical, legal and social aspects will be carried out throughout the duration of the project at the Institute for the History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine in parallel with the project steps of other scientists involved in the research network and in collaboration with other participating research groups.