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An Examination into the Embryo Disposal Practices of Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority Licenced Fertility Centers in the United Kingdom

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 December 2020

ABIGAIL MAGUIRE
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Abstract

When fertility centers dispose of embryos, how should this be done? Current regulatory guidelines by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority state that, when terminating the development of human embryos, a clinic should act with sensitivity, taking account of the embryo’s “special status” and respecting the interests of the gamete providers and recipients. As yet, it is unclear as to how and to what extent this achieved within fertility clinics in the UK. Resultantly, this paper examines the largely undocumented domain of embryo disposal practice. By undertaking an empirical study into policy and procedure and noting divergence in clinic practice, it then comments on the ethical implications of these protocols for patients and practitioners. Specifically, this paper argues for a more holistic approach to embryo disposal. An approach that effectively meets the requirements of the lab, is respectful of the “special status” of the human embryo, and, perhaps most importantly, reflects the multifaceted needs of the patient.

Keywords

embryo disposalHuman Fertilisation and Embryology Authorityfertility clinicshuman embryo
Type
Bioethics Beyond Borders
Information
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics , Volume 30 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 161 - 174
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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References

Notes

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77. For example, one study records an increased intensity and duration of grief with increased gestation. See Greenfeld, D, Diamond, M, Decherney, A. Grief reactions following IVF treatment. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology 1988;8(3):169–74CrossRefGoogle Scholar. Likewise, de Lacey considers the experiences of those who have chosen to discarded their embryos to be ‘sequestered losses with disenfranchised grief’. See note 48, de Lacey 2017, at 406.

78. See note 49, de Lacey 2017, at 405. See also note 58, Lyerly et al. 2010, at 507.

79. See note 3, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority 2019, at 151.