Hullo chaps Just to try and smooth things over. I think the argument used by most religious objectors to IVF is not the fact that it is medical intervention but that in the placing of several fertilised eggs in the womb, invariably other fertilised eggs are destroyed. Many people believe that life begins at conception, therefore this would be seen as killing. This is not a judgement call on anyone out there, merely a belief held by many people who are not nutters but genuinely think that is the case. I am not saying this to open up a can of worms, neither am I proselytising, neither does this need to provoke a moral/religious debate. I think where this is strongly felt then no exceptions can logically be made, however sad the circumstances, eg, after chemotherapy, which is perhaps where Spangle's argument fell down. In all things I think we need to respect each other's views and beliefs without ridicule. It is often tritely quoted but I do think this may be the right place to remind us of the quote attributed (rightly or wrongly) to Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."