title: Fertility patients' views about frozen embryo disposition: results of a multi-institutional U.S. survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe fertility patients' preferences for disposition of cryopreserved embryos and determine factors important to these preferences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey conducted between June 2006 and July 2007.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine geographically diverse U.S. fertility clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  1020 fertility patients with cryopreserved embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Likelihood of selecting each of five conventional embryo disposition options: store for reproduction, thaw and discard, donate to another couple, freeze indefinitely, and donate for research; likelihood of selecting each of two alternative options identified in previous research: placement of embryos in the woman's body at an infertile time, or a disposal ceremony; importance of each of 26 considerations to disposition decisions; and views on the embryo's moral status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 54% of respondents with cryopreserved embryos were very likely to use them for reproduction, 21% were very likely to donate for research, 7% or fewer were very likely to choose any other option. Respondents who ascribed high importance to concerns about the health or well-being of the embryo, fetus, or future child were more likely to thaw and discard embryos or freeze them indefinitely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fertility patients frequently prefer disposition options that are not available to them or find the available options unacceptable. Restructuring and standardizing the informed consent process and ensuring availability of all disposition options may benefit patients, facilitate disposition decisions, and address problems of long-term storage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University, Box 3040, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. lyerl003@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: Anne Drapkin
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Lyerly
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Steinhauser
authors.forename: Corrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voils
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Namey
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bankowski
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cook-Deegan
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: Emily S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jungheim
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: Evan R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Osborn
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schlaff
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sugarman
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tulsky
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Walmer
authors.forename: Ruth R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Faden
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wallach
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D019924:Embryo Disposition / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033041:Embryo Research / Q000941:ethics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000941:ethics; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009014:Morals; D044469:Racial Groups; D012106:Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States