ABSTRACT
Cryopreservation of gametes and embryos allows for children to be conceived after
the death of their genetic parents through the process of posthumous assisted reproduction
(PAR). Although the techniques are routine, the moral and ethical details are controversial
and remain unsettled. Furthermore, there are numerous medicolegal implications that
complicate matters. The principal parties to be considered are the decedent, the child
who will be born of PAR, the significant other requesting the procedure, other living
children, and even society at large. Numerous case studies exist and expert opinions
have been published recognizing PAR as a vexing ethical issue. Most experts agree
that explicit written consent forms signed at the time of cryopreservation are the
best method to minimize some of the controversy involved with PAR.
KEYWORDS
Posthumous assisted reproduction - posthumous conception - gamete cryopreservation
- embryo cryopreservation.
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Gary S NakhudaM.D.
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Center for Women's Reproductive
Care
1790 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
Email: Gsn16@columbia.edu