Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 2 , Pages 499-509 , 15 January 2010

Fertility patients' views about frozen embryo disposition: results of a multi-institutional U.S. survey

  • Anne Drapkin Lyerly, M.D., M.A.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Trent Center for Biothics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Anne Drapkin Lyerly, M.D., M.A., Box 3040, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 (FAX: 919-669-1789).
    • ,
  • Karen Steinhauser, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Center for Palliative Care, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Corrine Voils, Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Emily Namey, M.A.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Trent Center for Biothics, Humanities, and History of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Carolyn Alexander, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
    • ,
  • Brandon Bankowski, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Oregon Reproductive Medicine, Portland, Oregon
    • ,
  • Robert Cook-Deegan, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy Center for Genome Ethics Law and Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • William C. Dodson, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
    • ,
  • Elena Gates, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California
    • ,
  • Emily S. Jungheim, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
    • ,
  • Peter G. McGovern, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, UMDNJ–New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
    • ,
  • Evan R. Myers, M.D., M.P.H.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Barbara Osborn, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Shady Grove Fertility Center, Rockville, Maryland
    • ,
  • William Schlaff, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
    • ,
  • Jeremy Sugarman, M.D., M.P.H., M.A.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
    • Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
    • Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
    • ,
  • James A. Tulsky, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Center for Palliative Care, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • David Walmer, M.D., Ph.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
    • ,
  • Ruth R. Faden, Ph.D., M.P.H.

      Affiliations

    • Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
    • Department of Health Policy and Management, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
    • ,
  • Edward Wallach, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

Received 24 July 2008 ,Revised 8 October 2008 ,Accepted 15 October 2008.

References 

  1. Bankowski BJ, Lyerly AD, Faden RR, Wallach EE. The social implications of embryo cryopreservation. Fertil Steril. 2005;84:823–832
  2. United States Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004 Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates: National Summary and Fertility Clinic Reports. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/ART/ART2004.
  3. Hoffman DI, Zellman GL, Fair CC, Mayer JF, Zeitz JG, Gibbons WE, et al. Cryopreserved embryos in the United States and their availability for research. Fertil Steril. 2003;79:1063–1069
  4. Levin Y. A middle ground for stem cells. New York Times. January 19, 2007;A23
  5. Hatch OG. Audio interview: expanding federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. N Engl J Med. 2007;356:e18
  6. de Lacey S. Parent identity and ‘virtual’ children: why patients discard rather than donate unused embryos. Hum Reprod. 2005;20:1661–1669
  7. Lyerly AD, Steinhauser K, Namey E, Tulsky JA, Cook-Deegan R, Sugarman J, et al. Factors that affect infertility patients' decisions about disposition of frozen embryos. Fertil Steril. 2006;85:1623–1630
  8. McMahon C, Gibson F, Cohen J, Leslie G, Tennant C, Saunders D. Mothers conceiving through in vitro fertilization: siblings, setbacks, and embryo dilemmas. Reprod Technol. 2000;10:131–135
  9. Saunders DM, Bowman MC, Grierson A, Garner F. Frozen embryos: too cold to touch? The dilemma ten years on. Hum Reprod. 1995;10:3081–3082
  10. Brzyski RG. Efficacy of postal communication with patients who have cryopreserved pre-embryos. Fertil Steril. 1998;70:949–951
  11. de Lacey S. Decisions for the fate of frozen embryos: fresh insights into patients' thinking and their rationales for donating or discarding embryos. Hum Reprod. 2007;22:1751–1758
  12. Zweifel J, Christianson M, Jaeger AS, Olive D, Lindheim SR. Needs assessment for those donating to stem cell research. Fertil Steril. 2007;88:560–564
  13. Van Voorhis BJ, Grinstead DM, Sparks AE, Gerard JL, Weir RF. Establishment of a successful donor embryo program: medical, ethical, and policy issues. Fertil Steril. 1999;71:604–608
  14. Kovacs GT, Breheny SA, Dear MJ. Embryo donation at an Australian university in-vitro fertilisation clinic: issues and outcomes. Med J Aust. 2003;178:127–129
  15. Klock SC, Sheinin S, Kazer RR. The disposition of unused frozen embryos. N Engl J Med. 2001;345:69–70
  16. McMahon CA, Gibson FL, Leslie GI, Saunders DM, Porter KA, Tennant CC. Embryo donation for medical research: attitudes and concerns of potential donors. Hum Reprod. 2003;18:871–877
  17. McMahon CA, Saunders DM. Attitudes of couples with stored frozen embryos toward conditional embryo donation. Fertil Steril. Published online November 28, 2007.
  18. Hammarberg K, Tinney L. Deciding the fate of supernumerary frozen embryos: a survey of couples' decisions and the factors influencing their choice. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:86–91
  19. Edwards P, Roberts I, Clarke M, DiGiuseppi C, Pratap S, Wentz R, et al. Increasing response rates to postal questionnaires: systematic review. BMJ. 2002;324:1183
  20. Lyerly AD, Faden RR. Willingness to donate frozen embryos for stem cell research. Science. 2007;317:46–47
  21. Willis GB. Cognitive interviewing: a tool for improving questionnaire design. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; 2005;
  22. Gurmankin AD, Sisti D, Caplan AL. Embryo disposal practices in IVF clinics in the United States. Politics Life Sci. 2003;22:4–8
  23. Hudson KL, Scott JS, Faden RR. Values in conflict: public attitudes on stem cell research. Washington, DC: Genetics and Public Policy Center; 2005;
  24. Baylis F, Beagan B, Johnston J, Ram N. Cryopreserved human embryos in Canada and their availability for research. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2003;25:1026–1031
  25. Osmanagaoglu K, Collins JA, Kolibianakis E, Tournaye H, Camus M, Van Steirteghem , et al. Spontaneous pregnancies in couples who discontinued intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment: a 5-year follow-up study. Fertil Steril. 2002;78:550–556
  26. Hug K. Motivation to donate or not donate surplus embryos for stem-cell research: literature review. Fertil Steril. 2008;89:263–277
  27. Elements to be considered in obtaining informed consent for ART. Fertil Steril. 2006;86:S272–S273
  28. Elford K, Lawrence C, Leader A. Research implications of embryo cryopreservation choices made by patients undergoing in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril. 2004;81:1154–1155
  29. Burton PJ, Sanders K. Patient attitudes to donation of embryos for research in Western Australia. Med J Aust. 2004;180:559–561
  30. Crockin S. How do you ‘adopt’ a frozen egg?. Boston Globe. December 5, 2005;
  31. Committee on Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. Guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005;revised 2007
  32. Daley GQ, Richter LA, Auerbach JM, Benvenisty N, Charo RA, Chen G, et al. ETHICS: The ISSCR guidelines for human embryonic stem cell research. Science. 2007;315:603–604

 A.D.L. has nothing to disclose. K.S. has nothing to disclose. C.V. has nothing to disclose. E.N. has nothing to disclose. C.A. has nothing to disclose. B.B. serves on the speakers' bureau for EMD Serono. R.C-D. has nothing to disclose. W.C.D. has nothing to disclose. E.G. has nothing to disclose. E.S.J. has nothing to disclose. P.G.M. has received grant support from Ferring and EMD Serono. E.R.M. is a consultant for Merck and GSK. B.O. has nothing to disclose. W.S. has performed sponsored research for Organon. J.S. is a consultant for Pfizer. J.A.T. has nothing to disclose. D.W. has nothing to disclose. R.R.F. has nothing to disclose. E.W. has nothing to disclose.

 Supported by the Greenwall Foundation Presidential Award and Faculty Scholars Program; Duke Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy's Center for Genome Ethics, Law and Policy Research Fellowship Award; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the National Institutes of Health (1 K01 HL79517-01) [A.D.L.]; MREP Career Development Award from VA Health Services Research and Development (MRP 02-263 [K.S.], MRP04-216-1 [C.V.]); and NHGRI and U.S. Department of Energy (P50 HG003391) [R.C-D.].

PII: S0015-0282(08)04204-0

doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.10.015

Fertility and Sterility
Volume 93, Issue 2 , Pages 499-509 , 15 January 2010

Article Tools