Embryo Adoption: Private, Agency or Clinic? – Clinic
Private, Agency, or Clinic?
This month we are exploring the 3 methods you can choose to seek an Embryo Adoption / Donation.
It is important to know the benefits and drawbacks to each of these so that you can choose the right method for your individual situation. Every adoption agency and fertility clinic handles this process in a unique way. Some organizations require steps that elongate the process but are intended for your benefit. Private methods of matching will allow you to control the length of the process but puts more responsibility on your shoulders. Some families choose to match themselves with a donor by posting a profile online or networking through personal relationships.
This week: Fertility Clinic’s Embryo Donation Program
Benefits:
- Legal Work. Fertility Clinics will require that you have the proper legal work completed, and in most cases will procure the documents for you or refer you to their preferred adoption attorney.
- Transportation. Fertility Clinics house their own embryos, so there is no need for transportation. Transporting embryos carries the risk that something might happen to them during shipment.
- Decreased Wait Time. If you are willing to adopt anonymously donated embryos, the wait time for a clinic program can be dramatically decreased.
- Open Selection. Instead of viewing one profile at a time, you can often times view multiple profiles and select the one most compatible with your family.
Drawbacks:
- Limited Information. Depending upon the program, you may receive little to no information regarding the embryo donating family, especially in the case of anonymous embryo donations.
- Limited Control. Embryos are donated directly to the clinic, and the clinic determines who receives them.
- Limited Sibling Contact. The embryos may be given to multiple families (e.g.: The genetic family donates 10 embryos, 4 are given to family A, 3 are given to family B and three are given to family C).
- Limited Relationship. There will likely be very little communication between you and the embryo donor family. Few historical records of the donation are maintained by the clinic.
