Fertility Treatment and Faith: Questions Christians Ask

For many couples, infertility eventually raises questions about medical treatment: testing, medications, IUI, IVF and more. Christians who love God and take Scripture seriously reach different conclusions about some of these options. This article won’t make the decision for you. It’s meant to help you make it prayerfully.

Medicine is not a lack of faith

Scripture doesn’t set prayer and medical care against each other. Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14), and Paul advised Timothy to use a remedy (1 Timothy 5:23). Seeking a diagnosis and treatment is not a failure to trust God.

Where Christians broadly agree

• Basic testing and diagnosis are wise.
• Treating underlying conditions is good stewardship of the body.
• Children are a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), however they come.
• Your worth and your marriage aren’t defined by whether treatment works.

Where Christians differ

Believers and church traditions hold different convictions about some assisted reproductive technologies, especially those involving creating embryos, what happens to embryos that aren’t transferred, or using donor eggs, sperm or surrogates. Some Christians, including many Catholics, believe certain methods should be avoided. Others believe they can be used carefully with strong ethical safeguards, such as limiting the number of embryos created. These are serious questions about the value of human life, and they deserve serious thought.

Questions to bring to God, your pastor and your doctor

• What does our church tradition teach, and why?
• How many embryos would be created, and what would happen to any not transferred?
• What are the physical, emotional and financial costs, and where would we stop?
• Are we united as a couple?
• Are we making this decision from faith or from fear?

Pray for wisdom

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God” (James 1:5). Take your time. Talk with your pastor and a doctor who respects your faith. And whatever you decide, decide together.

For the emotional side of the journey, see Hannah’s Prayer.

This article is spiritual guidance, not medical advice. Please talk with your own doctor about medical decisions.