What to do with spare embryos?

Couples going through IVF are sometimes left with spare embryos that they may not want to use themselves, and deciding what to do with them can cause all kinds of ethical dilemmas.

Now, researchers at the University of Ilinois have conducted a study to see what IVF patients think about the issue. It showed that 73% of the 1,350 women surveyed were in favour of their spare embryos being donated for stem cell research, and 56% would be happy for them to go to another couple for their fertility treatment. The researchers found that younger women, and those with less money, were more likely to be resistant to donating their spare embryos for reearch.

The findings are published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, and you can read more on the University of Ilinois website.