"Fertility patients must be armed with the best information and advice available.

PR Newswire Association ^

[Coleus]

The American Fertility Association Releases New Educational Tools for Embryo Donation: Help for Donors and Help for Recipients

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Fertility Association announces the release -- both in print and online at http://www.theafa.org/ -- of new educational brochures that shed light on the complexity of embryo donation -- both for the donor of unused embryos following IVF treatments, as well as for the recipient of donated embryos. Fertility clinics across the country will receive a total of 20,000 copies of these brochures to distribute to their patients.  "Fertility patients must be armed with the best information and advice available. These new brochures comprehensively explain the benefits and realities of embryo donation as a viable family-building option," said Pamela Madsen, Executive Director and Founder of The American Fertility Association. "Our goal is to educate fertility patients so they can make informed decisions, and to remind them that this difficult choice is not one they have to make in isolation," said Madsen.

To date, there are approximately 400,000 embryos that are cryopreserved, or frozen, at infertility clinics around the country. Each year, thousands of women and men who undergo IVF treatments must make complicated choices regarding the disposition of any excess embryos following the conclusion of IVF treatment. Many couples or individuals plan to use their cryopreserved embryos to expand their families in the future. For those who do not, however, embryo donation may provide an attractive alternative to resolving the issue of excess embryos.

"In educating patients on both the medical and psychological issues surrounding embryo donation, our patients are more informed and confident as they continue their IVF treatments," said Dr. Owen Davis, Medical Director of The American Fertility Association and Associate Director of IVF at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at Cornell University Weill Medical College. "These educational tools help patients understand the medical options and risks and provides information on the nuances of treatment issues surrounding embryo donation," added Dr. Davis.  Joann Paley Galst, Ph.D., Co-Director of Support Groups for The American Fertility Association adds, "Helping patients unravel the complex psychological as well as the legal issues surrounding embryo donation is critical to ensure they make decisions they can feel positive about in the years to come."  The new brochures, developed in collaboration with the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), were made possible through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

THE AMERICAN FERTILITY ASSOCIATION (AFA) is a national organization dedicated to educating, supporting and advocating for men and women concerned with reproductive health, fertility preservation, infertility and all forms of family building. Visit http://www.theafa.org/ or call 888-917-3777 for more information and support.  This press release and the materials described were produced with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Grant 1 EAA OP002103-01. The statements expressed are those of the authors and The American Fertility Association and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department.

  Contact:  Frank Fusco
            David Eng Communications
            (212) 714-3537
            frank@decpr.com
 

Website: http://www.theafa.org/

[Coleus]

"Fertility patients must be armed with the best information and advice available." >>>

and the "disposed" embryos/children are armed with what?

[Im4LifeandLiberty]

"and the "disposed" embryos/children are armed with what?"

My question exactly. I have had a lot of contact with people who have undergone IVF or who have performed the procedure over the years, and the prevailing philosophy seems to be: life begins at conception, unless you were conceived in a petri dish.
A baby is a baby is a baby. I don't quite understand why the circumstances of one's conception somehow determine one's value, or the degree to which one is considered "alive" at a particular point in his or her development.

[Coleus]

THE CODE FOR HUMAN LIFE

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

This press release is not very well written. Please note that they are talking about embryo "recipients" -- meaning other women's uteruses, rather than the circular file or using the embryo as part of some experiment. This is sometimes informally called "embryo adoption." I would think that if you are against abortion, you should be all in favor of the embryos being adopted out to another family rather than being dumped.

[Katya]

I suppose I have a hard time imagining that those petri dishes frozen in time, contain a soul. I could see a soul entering their body if they were growing inside a body...but not in a petri dish, unless we imagine them to be dead.

[Coleus]

I would think that if you are against abortion, you should be all in favor of the embryos being adopted out to another family rather than being dumped. >>

we are against the IVF procedure because human life is created then disposed, including the 4 implanted in the mother. Let's face it, it's a death sentence for the 3 or in many cases all 4.

[Lauren BaRecall]

For your consideration:

Snowflakes

[Hetty_Fauxvert]

we are against the IVF procedure because human life is created then disposed, including the 4 implanted in the mother. Let's face it, it's a death sentence for the 3 or in many cases all 4.

I can't let this statement stand as being factual. It is NOT a death sentence for the embryos implanted in the potential mother. Believe me, these women are going to a great deal of trouble and expense and heartache just to get ONE to stick around and become a baby. You should see the rejoicing in the IVF forums when a lucky woman actually gets two embryos to stick. As for them being "disposed" of by being implanted, Mother Nature does this all the time. When a couple is trying *naturally* for a baby (not IVF, but the old-fashioned way), it is *extremely* common for an early pregnancy test to come up positive -- and then a couple of weeks later, nothing. What happened? Either something was no good with the embryo or with the circumstances in the mother's uterus, and Mother Nature aborted the embryo herself. (If you want to look up more on this phenomenon, this is called a "chemical pregnancy.") If you want to argue with Mother Nature, go ahead. But she's been winning for a long time now.

[Mr. Silverback]

Jeez...have these people ever heard of a little thing called "adoption?"

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Mr. Silverback]

ProLife Ping!

If anyone wants on or off my ProLife Ping List, please notify me here or by freepmail.

[Katya]

Thanks for the link, it still doesn't change my perception that the embryo's life begins when implanted in the womb. I just don't believe frozen embryos are imbued with a soul. All of that changes from mere biolical interaction to human when the implantation takes place.

[conservatrice]

Adoption is NOT a panacea, nor is it easy, possible, or advisable, for everyone.