Motivation to donate or not donate surplus embryos for stem-cell research: literature review

What Is the Outcome and Fate of Frozen Supernumerary Embryos Resulting from Egg Donation?

“…The uncertainty surrounding the best "home" for these embryos is demonstrated in the overwhelming number of cryopreserved embryos that remain in storage inde fi nitely. Furthermore, as demonstrated by studies performed globally, patients delay their decision because they fi nd it to be "the most dif fi cult decision they have ever had to make," and they wish to "avoid making a decision to destroy embryos" [ 36,52 ] . Thus, although patients are excited at the time of embryo cryopreservation and actually fi nd the state of "no embryos available for freezing" quite disappointing, the presence of such embryos can create signi fi cant confusion and even distress later.…”

“…Public awareness surrounding stem cell research has likely motivated patients to participate in this process. Hug recently reviewed 67 scienti fi c publications regarding the possible donation of surplus embryos for medical research [ 36 ] . Studies evaluated included both IVF patients and donor oocyte patients.…”

“…This review demonstrated that factors positively impacting a couple's decision to donate their surplus embryos to research included the following: knowing the research purpose, being well informed about bioscience and about the potential bene fi ts of the research, being at the end of their IVF treatment, having poor-quality embryo, and being altruistic [ 36 ] . In contrast, being at the beginning of infertility treatment, not knowing the aim of the medical research, having good-quality embryos, and considering frozen embryos to be children appear to hinder a couple's willingness to donate their embryos to science [ 36 ] . Additional studies demonstrated that patients who elect to donate their surplus cryopreserved embryos to science/ research are more likely to have delivered a child in their fresh IVF cycle [ 37 ] .…”

Of research and reproduction: defining embryo ‘Research’ in Canada

“…Rather, the instrumental value of the embryo for purposes other than donors' own reproduction is the donors' primary concern. Although a number of studies specifically interrogate donation to stem-cell research (Hug 2008), they tend to conceive of decisions to donate to 'research' or 'science' in broad terms. In a recent review of the literature on the donation of embryos to research, Samorinha et al (2014) found that of the 39 studies on disposition decision-making assessed, only two differentiated between kinds of research-between 'research to improve techniques' and 'stem-cell research' (Burton and Sanders 2004) and between 'infertility research' and 'stem-cell research' (Bangsbøll et al 2004).…”

Cenário internacional da pesquisa em células-tronco embrionárias

“…As a general rule, after the reproduction project fulfi lls its purpose, couples prefer to donate frozen embryos to scientifi c research rather than discard them. 1,2,9,10 This is the legislative situation in Brazil, the Republic of France, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for example. The Kingdom of Norway authorizes research with embryos remaining from assisted reproduction clinics, even though it had maintained its prohibition until January 2008, when Law n° 31, from June 15 th , 2007, came into force and the restriction was abolished.…”