Test tube baby

In my biology class some days back, we discussed the issues of having test tube babies. One of the issue which my teacher raised was the exorbitant cost of the procedure; a single IVF treatment easily costs upward of $5000, which is considered expensive even in developed countries such as the US, let alone countries like Pakistan. The argument that the procedure is expensive is pretty debatable. We have to consider the utility that consumers (i-e couples) get from the product. A childless couple wants nothing more than a baby in their house. Mostly, they are willing to pay their entire saving to hear the cries of their own baby. The psychological and physical torment of being childless is also considerable. Thus, for a couple that is so desperate to have a child, it is logical to say that the utility gained from such a procedure is practically infinite. Thus, even though a price tag of $5000 may be an effective deterrent for a good with much smaller marginal utility, but for a good that gives the couple its own child seems extremely inexpensive because of the marginal utility it gives. This argument highlights another aspect: the utility we gain from goods can sometimes be caused by the evolutionary roles nature has caused us to play in the world :)