What are the ownership rights for gametes and embryos?: Advance directives and the disposition of cryopreserved gametes and embryos

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Abstract
IVF has become a routine procedure for the treatment of infertility. One of the by-products of the typical IVF treatment is the creation of supernumerary embryos. More embryos are brought into existence than can be safely replaced in the first cycle. The remaining embryos are frozen to be used later if the first trial proves unsuccessful or when the couple wants another child. However, not all embryos are replaced and not all parents indicate what should be done with them. The accumulation of frozen embryos has resulted in impressive numbers of embryos stocked in the freezers of the large fertility clinics. The exponential growth of their number urges on the ethical reflection on the fate of these embryos.

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