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Medical, Social, Legal, and Religious Aspects of Genetic Donation

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Hot Topics in Human Reproduction

Part of the book series: Reproductive Medicine for Clinicians ((REMECL,volume 3))

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Abstract

Sperm, oocyte, and embryo donation have become an integral part of the management of infertility, due in part to increasing maternal age and the cryopreservation of surplus oocytes. Donation also offers treatment for genetic mutation carriers by affording fertilization with normal, tested, genetic material. Despite their obvious merits in solving infertility issues previously unresolved by existing technologies such as IVF and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection, gamete and embryo donations present various medical, social, legal, and religious dilemmas that must be addressed and deliberated in the physician–patient encounter. When performing gamete or embryo donation, all entities participating in the clinical scenario—donors, recipients, and offspring—must be considered individually, as each possesses different needs, motivations, concerns, and risks resulting from treatment. This review aims to thoroughly examine these aspects in an evolving field, delineate the roots of gamete and embryo donation, present their intricacies, and, lastly, highlight their ultimate value in contemporary treatment of infertile couples.

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Correspondence to Yoel Shufaro .

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Shufaro, Y., Hochberg, A., Schenker, J.G. (2023). Medical, Social, Legal, and Religious Aspects of Genetic Donation. In: Schenker, J.G., Birkhaeuser, M.H., Genazzani, A.R., Mettler, L., Sciarra, J.J. (eds) Hot Topics in Human Reproduction. Reproductive Medicine for Clinicians, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24903-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24903-7_12

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