What are the options for frozen embryos?A GUIDE TO HELP WITH DECISION MAKING

The Difficult Decision

Thinking about what to do with frozen embryos can cause a lot of stress for many people.

It can bring back thoughts and feelings from your own infertility experience.

It can make you question your personal values and beliefs about parenthood.

Goals of this program

To talk about the thoughts and feelings that are common when faced with a decision about what to do with frozen embryos

To talk about the options that are available to you

To help you get some closure to your infertility experience

Available Options

There are 5 options available to you: You can continue to store them

You can use them for future family building

You can have them thawed and discarded

You can donate them to scientific research

You can donate them to another infertile individual or couple

Why would someone want to keep their embryos frozen?

You may want them for future family building.

You may be confused about the possible choices available to you.

You may be having difficulty reaching a decision.

You may need more education and guidance as to what your options are.

Have you considered discarding your embryos?

One option is to thaw your embryos

Your embryos will be discarded by Nashville Fertility Center as directed by you

Have you considered donating your embryos to scientific

research? Some individuals and couples would like to see the embryos they

created be used to help scientists find treatments or cures for illness and disease.

If your embryos are not needed for research at the time of your donation, they may be stored for future research studies.

Donation to an infertile couple

Have you ever thought of donating your frozen embryos to an individual or couple who is also experiencing infertility?

Why would an individual or couple want to build their family with a

donated embryo Many individuals or couples have been through many treatments

and have not had a successful pregnancy.

Some individuals or couples have issues with male and female infertility.

Some individuals or couples worry that they could transmit a genetic disease if they got pregnant and gave birth to a child.

Some individuals or couples would prefer not to have a genetic tie to the child  

It costs less money than traditional adoption, IVF or donor egg infertility treatments

What is the donation process?

First you would fill out paperwork about your medical history.

Then you would have blood work done.

A legal agreement for releasing your embryos to Nashville Fertility Center to be signed.

Did you know?

You can put restrictions on who would receive your embryos. For instance, if you would prefer a specific age range or religious

preference for the recipients of your embryos you may choose that.

Did you know?

That you can write a letter to a future child created from your embryos that will be put with your profile?

You can also write a letter to the receiving individual or couple that will also be attached to your profile.

Donor Sibling Registry

Did you know that there is a resource available: To possibly to connect you with the family created with your donated

embryos?

To help you with how to communicate to your own child that there may be genetic siblings that were created from your donated embryos?

That will provide education and support for you and your family?

Did you know that information can be found at the Donor Sibling Registry online.

Education about…

Education is available to you to help with making a decisionYour physician, nurse or mental health

professional can provide you with…Information on anonymous vs. open donation

levels (transparency levels)Possible thoughts and feelings you may have

with donating your embryos

What if we want to know the individual or couple we donate to?

This is a very personal decision.

Known embryo donation programs will match you with a recipient of your choosing. Contact Nashville Fertility Center for more information.

Do we tell or not tell our family?

To tell others about your decision to donate your embryos to an infertile individual or couple is a personal decision. Your doctor, nurse or a qualified mental health provider can help you

with these issues.

Are there legal issues we need to know if we donate?

Individuals and couples who donate do not receive money.

You may be compensated for items such as medical testing fees associated with your donation.

Nashville Fertility Center may arrange for any medical testing to be done without charge to the donating couple

Your embryos will not be donated without your permission.

Nashville Fertility Center will not sell your embryos.

What assistance is available?

Nashville Fertility CenterPhysiciansNursing staff

Qualified mental health professionalNashville fertility Center can provide you

with names of mental health professionals who are educated on infertility and embryo donation

Thank you for your participation

Click the link below to take the post educational questionnaire. If the link is broken, please copy/paste the address into your internet browser. Thank you.

Survey Monkey Link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SPWKWR8