Survey Looks At Options For Frozen Embryos

It's a dilemma that any fertility patient with extra embryos will have to address: what to do with the frozen embryos once their family is complete. More than 1,000 fertility patients at nine clinics participated in a recent survey by Duke University in which they were asked how they would handle leftover embryos. (More than 400,000 frozen embryos are stored in fertility clinics around the country.)

Current options include storing, destroying, and donating to another couple or scientific research. More than half surveyed did not want to donate their embryos to another couple because of concerns of someone else bringing up their biological child. Twenty percent opted to keep the embryos frozen forever.

Other patients suggested different solutions, such as holding a small ceremony as the embryos were disposed, or implanting the embryos in the woman’s body during her cycle when she could not get pregnant to allow the embryos to die “naturally.” 

Article: http://conceiveonline.com/fertility-news/frozen-embryos/