The use and disposal of stored embryos

Abstract Claims that human embryos are “human beings” or “persons” cannot be agreed, because philosophies and approaches differ, awarding them statuses from full human to property. In 1984, the UK (Warnock) Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology made recommendations that still...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of gynecology and obstetrics 2016-07, Vol.134 (1), p.114-117
Main Author: Dickens, Bernard M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cryopreservation - utilization
Cryopreserved embryos
Donation of human embryos
Embryo Disposition - ethics
Embryo Disposition - legislation & jurisprudence
Embryo Research - ethics
Embryo Research - legislation & jurisprudence
Embryo storage and use
Female
Fertilization in Vitro - legislation & jurisprudence
Humans
In vitro fertilization
Informed Consent - legislation & jurisprudence
Male
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Research on human embryos
Status of human embryos
United Kingdom
Warnock committee
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Summary:Abstract Claims that human embryos are “human beings” or “persons” cannot be agreed, because philosophies and approaches differ, awarding them statuses from full human to property. In 1984, the UK (Warnock) Committee of Inquiry into Human Fertilisation and Embryology made recommendations that still offer legal and ethical guidance. It is widely agreed, for instance, that embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) should not be transferred for reproductive purposes without relevant consent, whether for gamete donors' or others' family-building. A consequence of courts enforcing parties' IVF agreements on stored embryo use or balancing parties' competing interests is that one party—usually the male—can veto the other's use of the embryo for reproduction on termination of a partnership. The extent to which surplus IVF embryos can be donated for research ranges from prohibition to infertility treatment and more, but wider needs for embryology research are appearing that, despite prevailing bans, may require embryos for study created to genetic specifications.
ISSN:0020-7292
1879-3479
DOI:10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.04.001