title: Ethics of medical and nonmedical oocyte cryopreservation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effectiveness and ethical dimensions of oocyte cryopreservation for both medical and social indications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  As more women are postponing motherhood for a variety of reasons, including lack of partner, for completing career plans and reaching financial stability, they are resorting to oocyte cryopreservation. To make informed choices, women rely on their primary care physicians (PCPs) for initial advice, but PCPs are not always fully prepared to discuss oocyte cryopreservation. Interestingly, there are mixed feelings among obstetricians/gynecologists on whether oocyte cryopreservation should be used for elective reasons, whereas it is fully supported for medical indications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oocyte vitrification has become an established procedure for safeguarding future reproductive chances for medical reasons, and its use is progressively expanding. There is an urgent need in preparing future PCPs and obstetricians/gynecologists as to how to initiate discussions with their patients about elective oocyte banking consistent with fully respecting patient autonomy so as to facilitate informed decisions.
authors.affiliation: aYale University Fertility Center, Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut bNYU Langone Medical Center, Division of Medical Ethics, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Patrizio
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molinari
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caplan
mesh_terms: D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000941:ethics; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000941:ethics