Will My Embryos Qualify for Donation?

Some potential embryo donors may shy away from donation because they think their donor embryos won’t qualify. While some clinics place rules on the number, rating, or age of an embryo, there are agencies that are happy to take your frozen embryos without exception and try to match them to a loving family. You can donate embryos even if:

• There is just one embryo. If you ended up using all but one of your embryos, you can still donate your remaining embryo. Some clinics may have rules regarding the minimum number of embryos in a donation in order to increase their client’s chances of a successful pregnancy, but other agencies are happy to accept a single donor embryo.
• Embryos that have been frozen ten years or more. While other countries place a maximum storage date on frozen embryos, the United States does not. That means there are frozen embryos in storage that have been there for 10, 15 or even 20+ years. Many agencies will accept your frozen embryos no matter how long they’ve been in storage.
• Embryos that don’t have a perfect rating. Many agency adopting families have had babies born from embryos that no one thought would ever develop! Don’t let ‘ratings’ dissuade you from donation. There are many families eager to adopt your embryos and give them a chance at life.

If the first clinic or adoption agency you speak to will not accept your donor embryos, don’t give up! There are agencies who are eager to help you find a loving family for your frozen embryos. You can find a list of clinics and agencies who deal with embryo donation at www.embryoadoption.org.

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