Should fat chicks be allowed to receive fertility treatments? Photo via Flickr Commons.

Guest post by Jessica Bowden

In Canada this week, fertility doctors have begun discussions regarding the suitability of obese women to receive fertility treatments. While no consensus has been reached, the topic has generated much controversy, many suggesting that to deny particular women treatment is to infringe on their human rights.

The issue of whether or not women of a certain body mass index (BMI) should be allowed to receive in vitro fertilization will be dealt with in an official debate this weekend in Toronto.

Doctors say that women with a BMI over 35 are at increased health risks during pregnancy, suggesting that women attain and maintain a healthy body weight prior to getting pregnant to reduce potential complications.

(Editors note: BMI is how much fat you have in proportion to your height and weight. A BMI of over 35 would indicate obesity. According to the CDC, a woman who is 5’6″ and weighs 185 lbs. or more is considered to be obese.)

Dr. Al Yuzpe, the moderator of the debate this Saturday commented, “Women who are obese, they have a higher risk for miscarriage, lower conception rate, gestational diabetes, a whole lot of complications. If they require a C-section, it’s more difficult on an obese patient.”

In B.C., where Dr. Yuzpe practices, doctors cannot perform egg retrievals in non-hospital clinics for women whose BMI is over 38.

Dr. Arya Sharma of the University of Alberta, countered suggestions that denying obese women fertility treatments was unjust: “it’s not discrimination if the health risks are real.”

“There’s an increased risk of actually having birth defects in the infant and that’s well studied — the correlation between obesity and fertility,” stated Sharma firmly.

Other medical professionals throughout Europe have made similar suggestions, including the British Fertility Society, as well as the medical associations of Sweden and New Zealand.

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What do you think? Should overweight women be allowed to have in vitro fertilization when they’re putting their baby and themselves in significantly higher risk than their lean counterparts?

About the author: 

Jessica Bowden studied English and Theatre at the University of Guelph, and graduated with her Masters in 2008. She is a current contributor to multiple publications and resides in Ontario, Canada.

Wow, given the giant stick up her ass I figured the bitch hadn’t gotten laid in years.

Word on the street is that Nancy Grace, of bug-eyed, mega-attitude, Tammy Faye makeup fame, is expecting twins. Ms. Grace has already deemed herself to be the exploiter, er, protector of child victims everywhere, so she’s sure to be a good mother. Doesn’t seem like she’s the type that would become unhinged over the presence of a certain undesirable method of hanging ones clothes at all…

From Access Hollywood (home of credible news, of course!):

NEW YORK, NY (June 26, 2007) — TV’s legal eagle, Nancy Grace, has revealed that she is four months pregnant with twins. But that’s not her only headliner: she also snuck off and got married!

“I always said I wanted a family,” Grace told Access Hollywood. “I grew up in happy, loving family [and] I wanted it too. But until now I just thought it wasn’t meant to be for me. And as part of God’s mysterious plan, I’m given this wonderful blessing late in life — and I could not be happier.”

47-years-old, and happier than ever! The CNN “Headline News” host married Atlanta-based banker David Linch in April. The couple reportedly met when they attended Mercer College together in the late 1970s.

Huh, just curious, does “God’s mysterious plan” include Clomid?