Embryo Cryopreservation: What do couples think about it?

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the perspectives of infertile couples regarding embryo cryopreservation throughout assisted reproduction treatment.

Methods: The convenience sample included infertile couples undergoing assisted reproduction treatment. They responded to a questionnaire specifically designed to gauge views and opinions on cryopreservation of surplus embryos. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS, employing the Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact tests (p<0.05).

Results: The study included 187 couples, with average ages of 35 years for women and 38 years for men. A total of 182 couples (97.3%) agreed with the practice of freezing surplus embryos and, the desire to increase the odds of pregnancy within the same ovarian stimulation cycle was the main motivation (89%). Almost 40% of participants said they might consider embryo donation to other couples for assisted reproductive treatment. However, less than 20% of volunteers (15.38% of women and 12.08% of men) expressed the desire to donate for research purposes. Women with higher levels of education were significantly (p<0.05) more likely to support the donation of surplus embryos for research. Gender, religion, and education did not influence (p>0.05) the respondents' perspectives regarding the beginning of life and posthumous conception.

Conclusions: Embryo cryopreservation provides infertile couples with hope however, the fate of surplus embryos remains controversial. A careful approach with appropriate regulation is necessary to ensure safe and ethical practices.