Presenting Embryo Donation and Adoption: How to Educate Your Clients, Part 2

In part one of this 4-part series on educating clients on embryo adoption, we looked at how embryo adoption is here to stay and how to help your agency overcome barriers to educating clients about this new family building option. 

Each client who enters your office will have a different motivation for adoption. Though embryo adoption is not the right choice for every family, you may be surprised to discover how embryo adoption can be a great fit for many families who were initially pursuing a more traditional form of adoption.

Some clients’ motivation for adoption is infertility. Do your clients still want to experience a pregnancy? Embryo Adoption allows the couple to experience the excitement, joys and trials of pregnancy and childbirth. This is the highest motivating factor for many individuals.

Some couples may come to adoption because they do not feel comfortable with the idea of egg and/or sperm donation and the subsequent unequal genetic connection. Embryo Adoption provides an equal genetic connection to the child - none!

Families who simply enjoy the pregnancy experience and have an interest in giving remaining embryos an opportunity to live may also be natural candidates for embryo adoption.

Some clients may arrive at domestic adoption because they desire to help a woman in a crisis situation. Your client may desire to adopt an infant, but be concerned about race, prenatal care, or may be difficult to match. Embryo adoption may be a great solution, provided your clients may be able to carry a pregnancy and wish to do so.

Some clients have a philosophical preference for parenting an orphaned child and may be considering international adoption. If they desire to adopt a very young infant, may find travel time and expenses a burden, or do not easily meet the requirements of destination country it may be appropriate to suggest embryo adoption as an alternative.

There are currently over 600,000 frozen human embryos in storage in the United States and the number embryos in frozen storage increases by about 5% every year. A certain percentage of these remaining embryos will be donated to another couple. There are embryos available NOW for waiting families.

The embryos are also without families. Embryos can wait for over two years for an adopting family. There are more embryos waiting to be adopted than families available adopt them. Due to high storage fees and the emotional toll of having embryos in storage some families give up and discard them if they are not adopted in a reasonable time frame.

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