I'm annoyed with the Pope

I never thought I'd write a blog entry with this title, but there is a first time for everything. I am annoyed with the Pope. He issued a statement recently saying that married couples should shun IVF and all artificial forms of conception, and that adopting these methods of conception reflect a form of human arrogance. In fact, he said, you should only be able to conceive by having sex naturally.

Whoa. Alert the presses. Maybe we were doing it wrong all this time! *doink*

As you can tell, I have a couple of issues with this statement. First, this statement is coming from a single, celibate man. (I guess I could just stop at one, but it wouldn't be a very interesting blog post).

Second, while we aren't particularly religious, we respect those who are or aren't. But I am annoyed when some religious figure (who again, will never have to worry about this problem himself) tries to impose his will and religious beliefs onto others.

Third issue is this: the idea that ANY of the entire fertility treatment process reflects human arrogance, is just ludicrous and ignorant. Does he really believe that infertile couples or individuals are utilizing reproductive technologies simply because of arrogance? Let's analyze a synopsis of what we have done in this process (so far):

• Splaying my legs open in stirrups to a doctor at 6:30 am clinic visits (not arrogant)
• Getting ultrasound probed and having an ungodly amount of blood drawn (not arrogant)
• Making "deposits" into a plastic cup with your name on it, after given some "personal time" with a 1980's dirty magazine and a VCR (not arrogant)
• Having to tell the nurse that you've made the deposit and wait in line to deposit the "deposit" to the andrology lab (definitely not arrogant)
• Being placed under anesthesia, while a doctor harvests my eggs with a long but very sharp needle (sounds like a science experiment, but still not arrogant)
• Injecting shot after shot after shot of painful, raging, mood-inducing hormones with questionable substance compounds (stupid, but not arrogant) 
• Peeing on a stick, and then prancing back and forth in that bathroom waiting for that magical second line that has never appeared for us (sad and disappointing, every single time)

All of these reflect, if anything, a degree of desperation - a far cry from being arrogant. In fact, I'd argue, it is the complete opposite of human arrogance. Infertility means having to admit to the world that you have difficulty conceiving, a basic human function and desire for most people. It takes away hopes and dreams, and exposes you to a very raw form of human emotion. Without reproductive technologies, we would be nowhere closer towards achieving our hope and dream of having a child.

Reproductive technologies, I surmise, in the words of believers, are god-sent, created for the sole reason of fulfilling one's basic human desire to have a child. I mean, if everything was to take its course naturally, then the invention of medicine in general is pointless. Why invent penicillin? Why find a cure for cancer or AIDS?

What the Pope and so many others need to comprehend is that infertility is a disease, and it is not a proud one. You don't see anyone screaming off the rooftops: "I have low sperm count!!!" or "I cannot ovulate on my own!!!" While I do acknowledge the hand we've been dealt, I refuse to accept it at face value and wait around for a miracle to happen. I am not backing down without a fight.

Some miracles are meant to be made. And not anyone, not even the Pope, can make us believe otherwise.