Factors associated with disposition of cryopreserved reproductive tissue.

OBJECTIVE

To study patient characteristics associated with the preferences for the disposition of cryopreserved semen and embryos in the event of death or divorce.

DESIGN

Retrospective exploratory study.

SETTING

Tertiary care academic medical center.

PATIENT(S): One hundred twelve men banking sperm, 54 female patients (partners of men banking sperm) undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF), and 112 women undergoing IVF who were not partners of men banking sperm.

INTERVENTION(S): Male patients banking sperm and couples undergoing IVF completed a standard consent form detailing their desired dispositions (disposal or release to a surviving party) of cryopreserved sperm and embryos in the event of death or divorce.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Effect of marital status, age, reason for sperm banking, infertility diagnosis, partner status (single or significant-other partner) on sperm, and embryo disposition choice.

RESULT(S): In the event of death, married men were 5.5 times more likely to release banked sperm to a surviving party than were single men. The estimated odds of giving sperm to a survivor were 1.07 times greater with every 1-year increase in age. The choice of sperm disposal was significantly related to the banking reason for the case of banking prior to chemotherapy and/or radiation for malignancy. In the case of male death, the decisions of couples undergoing IVF for embryo disposition agreed with choices of male patients for sperm disposition approximately 33% of the time more often than by chance alone.

CONCLUSION(S): Decisions surrounding disposition of cryopreserved sperm are significantly associated with marital status, age, and reason for banking sperm. Respective choices of sperm and embryo disposition in couples undergoing IVF were similar in the situation of male death.