will anyone destroy my embryos or eggs without me knowing?
When you first store your embryos or eggs, you will be asked to fill in a legal consent form. The consent form sets out the conditions you agree to for your embryos or eggs to be kept in storage. This will include the maximum period of storage, which may be five or 10 years, although this can be extended. You can ask for them to be destroyed before the period of storage ends, if you decide you no longer need them. You should be given a copy of the consent form.
When storing embryos fertilised by your partner, he will also have to fill in a consent form, which sets out the conditions he agrees for the embryos. Neither of you can use the embryos without the other’s consent.
The fertility clinic will send you a letter from time to time asking if you still want to keep your samples. They will also contact you towards the end of your agreed period of storage. It’s important that you reply to these letters and that you let the clinic know if you change your address. The clinic is required to take reasonable steps to contact you, but if they can’t contact you, they may let your embryos or eggs perish.
The fertility clinic will not destroy your embryos or eggs unless:
- you ask them to
- you reach the age of 55
- you do not respond when they contact you (they will usually try more than once), so it's important to keep in touch with them
- your partner, whose sperm was used to make the embryos, withdraws his consent.
who else will know that I’ve got embryos or eggs stored?
Usually, the only people who know you have stored embryos are the staff at the clinic and the partner who provided the sperm. They don’t tell anyone else unless you have given written permission for other people to know. When you first stored your sample, the clinic should have asked you to give them names of people you were happy for them to discuss your samples with. You can change this information at any time.
when and how can I use my embryos or eggs?
Information about using your stored embryos and eggs is covered in the section about types of fertility treatment.
