Free Informed Consent in ART Clinics: A Case Study of "In Vitro Fertilization" (IVF) Patients Who Consulted a Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative, in-depth, interview-based case study investigating how fertility clinics in Lithuania implement the mandatory free informed consent requirement for patients before in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. The study is grounded in Lithuanian legal requirements – specifically the Law on Patients’ Rights and the Law on Assisted Reproductive Technology – which detail what information must be provided prior to ART procedures. The theoretical framework draws on internationally established principles of informed consent, including the informational and consent components identified by T. Beauchamp and R. Faden. Participants were three individuals (two spouses and one married woman) who underwent IVF procedures at two Vilnius fertility clinics in 2023–2024 and subsequently contacted a Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner seeking to conceive naturally. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and supplemented by analysis of the clinic's written informed consent forms. Content analysis identified six categories: information about the ART procedure itself, effectiveness, risks to women, risks to children, alternatives to ART, and the fate of surplus embryos. The study found that across all categories, patients received incomplete information: consent forms were signed before being fully read, medical staff did not verify patients’ comprehension, and no information on restorative reproductive medicine alternatives was provided. According to participants own assessments, the quality of information received was only satisfactory. These findings reflect broader international patterns and point to a systemic failure to treat informed consent as a genuine dialogue rather than a formality.