Assisted Reproduction · Freezing and Storage

Cryopreserved embryos in the United States and their availability for research

Hoffman DI, Zellman GL, Fair CC, Mayer JF, Zeitz JG, Gibbons WE, Turner TG Jr, Society for Assisted Reproduction Technology (SART) and RAND

Published May 10, 2003 Fertility and Sterility, 79(5), 1063-1069
DOI 10.1016/s0015-0282(03)00172-9 PMID 12738496

Abstract

Objective

To determine the number of embryos stored at assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics in the United States and their current disposition.

Design

A targeted survey instrument sent by the SART-RAND team to all medical practices providing in vitro fertilization services in the United States.

Results

The SART-RAND team surveyed all 430 ART practices in the United States. Of these practices, 340 returned surveys for analysis. The data from these surveys were merged with data taken from the 1999 SART dataset, which contains information about practice size and success rates. Responding clinics reported a total of 396,526 embryos in storage as of April 11, 2002. The vast majority of the embryos (88.2%) were targeted for patient use. Small numbers of embryos were available for research, donation, destruction, quality assurance, or other uses.

Conclusions

Nearly 400,000 embryos are stored in the United States, the majority of which (88.2%) are targeted for patient use. Few are available for research (2.8%), limiting possible conversion into embryonic stem cell lines.

Topics

By this author

Related research

Assisted Reproduction › Freezing and Storage › Embryo Disposition
C Christine Fair, William E Gibbons, David I Hoffman, Joyce G Zeitz, Gail L Zellman
Bill Gibbons, Will Gibbons, Billy Gibbons, W Gibbons, Dave Hoffman, D Hoffman, J Zeitz, G Zellman
PMID 12738496 12738496 DOI 10.1016/s0015-0282(03)00172-9 10.1016/s0015-0282(03)00172-9 Hoffman et al. 2003, Hoffman 2003

Cite this article

Hoffman, D. I., Zellman, G. L., Fair, C. C., Mayer, J. F., Zeitz, J. G., Gibbons, W. E., Turner, T. G., Jr., & Society for Assisted Reproduction Technology (SART) and RAND (2003). Cryopreserved embryos in the United States and their availability for research. Fertility and Sterility, 79(5), 1063-1069. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(03)00172-9