Potential parents willing to donate embryos
A majority of Swiss couples seeking fertility treatment have said they would be willing to donate surplus embryos to science, a study has found.
According to an article in the scientific journal, Human Reproduction, published on Tuesday, 70 per cent of couples surveyed who received or are receiving medical help with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) said they would be open to donating their excess embryos for research.
Although Swiss law currently forbids the practice, 52 per cent of those surveyed also said they would prefer to donate the embryos to another couple rather than have them destroyed.
A supernumerary embryo is one that is obtained after in-vitro fertilisation but not transferred to the womb for development.
A team from the Institute for Social and Preventative Medicine at Zurich University conducted the survey in conjunction with a Baden-based hospital and fertility centre.
Together researchers surveyed 926 men and women with experience of IVF treatment.
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