Skip to main content
The Oncofertility Consortium

The Oncofertility Consortium

Search Open menu

Search form

Onco_Main_Menu

  • About
    • Find out more about the Oncofertility Consortium

      More
      Dr. Teresa K. Woodruff
      Oncofertility Professional Engagement Network
      Division of Fertility Preservation at Northwestern
      Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
      Research Projects
      Our Staff
      Contact Us
  • Resource Browser
    • Explore resources for patients, physicians and educators

      More
      For Health Care Professionals
      For Researchers
      For NPC Members
      For Patients
      For Educators
      For Global Partners
  • News
    • The latest from the Oncofertility Consortium

      More
      News
      Events
  • Find a Clinic / Center
  • Dialogues
    • Explore Dialogues in Oncofertility

      More
      About Dialogues in Oncofertility
      Guide for Authors
      Submit
  • Give Now

You are here

  1. Home
  2. » Blog
  3. » 2011

Blog Archive: July 2011

List
Visual

Cancer, Fertility, and the Big “D:” Divorce

July 29, 2011
adk121

Fertility concerns rank high among newly diagnosed cancer patients of reproductive age. There are several options available to patients interested in preserving their fertility before treatment begins. An often selected choice among patients with a spouse or a committed partner is embryo banking.

Embryo banking is an assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedure in which embryos are created by mixing an egg with “the best” sperm to form an embryo and then cryopreserving those embryos for future reproductive use.  Individuals must go through the proper legal channels to ensure that there is a trajectory for the embryos should they not use them. Currently their options are disposing of them, donating them to research or another individual or continuing to store them.

As one would imagine, deciding the fate of your embryos can be a complicated process. What may sound like an ideal solution to your potential infertility, does not come without a series of ethical and legal concerns that need to be addressed and resolved prior to undergoing any procedures.  While there are several ethical and legal scenarios that come into play, I’d like to focus on the issue of divorce. What happens to the embryos when a couple is no longer a couple?

I’d venture to say that most married couples, particularly those that are making the choice to bank embryos, are not thinking about the theoretical demise of their partnership. Having said that, with a divorce rate as high as 60% in some areas, this is inevitably a scenario that will be presented to a couple contemplating this procedure. It forces them to look into the future, even if only imaginary, and determine the fate of their embryos if divorce or separation were on the horizon.

If a couple decides to store the unused embryos, and then later divorces, what happens if one or the other partner wants access to those embryos? What happens if you no longer want those embryos to be used, but you former partner strongly disagrees? What if a couple decides to allow the use of the embryos regardless of separation and/or divorce, and then find themselves in a difficult divorce where they can no longer stand to be in the same room together, let alone ponder the idea of co-parenting? How can they decide together what will happen to their embryos if they can’t even decide who gets custody of the patio furniture?

It’s hard to imagine theoretical scenarios becoming a reality when you’re making important future decisions and you’re a united front. Still, it’s an important part of the process that’s put in place to safeguard both parties in the event you’re not in a space where you can make these decisions together anymore. To learn more about the ethical and legal dilemmas in oncofertility, please visit the Oncofertility Consortium’s Social Science and Humanities Projects.

Categories: 

  • fertility, Fertility Preservation, Oncofertility

Tags: 

  • divorce, Embryo Banking, ethics, fertility, Fertility Preservation, infertility, legal, Oncofertility, quality of life, social science

Reports from the 2011 Society for Cryobiology conference

July 28, 2011
Oncofertility C...

NOT As I Pictured: A Movie Review

July 27, 2011
adk121

Mythbusters in Oncofertility: The Truth about IVF Success Rates

July 22, 2011
pkt551

Cancer Survivorship Programs: Beyond Treatment

July 20, 2011
adk121

Teacher Education Programs Spread the Oncofertility Message

July 18, 2011
Oncofertility C...

Announcing a Partnership with the Cancer Knowledge Network

July 15, 2011
pkt551

Supportive Oncology for Comprehensive Cancer Care

July 13, 2011
adk121

Family Planning Post-Cancer: Reproductive Options

July 8, 2011
adk121

New Cryopreservation Advances Pave Way for Fertility Preservation

July 5, 2011
pkt551

Subscribe for Email Updates

Categories

  • Advocate (71)
  • Cancer (204)
  • Children (31)
  • Cme (5)
  • Communication (16)
  • Conferences (144)
  • Education (90)
  • Ethics (27)
  • Fertility (119)
  • Fertility Preservation (331)
  • General (353)
  • Global Partner (68)
  • In The News (134)
  • Introductions (46)
  • Meetings (76)
  • National Physicians Cooperative (39)
  • Oncofertility (351)
  • Oncofertility Saturday Academy (27)
  • Patient Stories (27)
  • Publication (27)
  • Research (174)
  • Science (43)
  • Virtual Grand Rounds (20)

Blog

  • October 2018 (11)
  • September 2018 (5)
  • August 2018 (3)
  • June 2018 (2)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (4)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (6)
  • January 2018 (5)
  • December 2017 (3)
  • November 2017 (2)
  • October 2017 (3)
  • September 2017 (1)
  • August 2017 (1)
  • July 2017 (8)
  • June 2017 (8)
  • May 2017 (5)
  • April 2017 (1)
  • March 2017 (5)
  • February 2017 (6)
  • January 2017 (6)
  • December 2016 (6)
  • November 2016 (5)
  • October 2016 (2)
  • September 2016 (2)
  • July 2016 (5)
  • June 2016 (10)
  • May 2016 (8)
  • April 2016 (14)
  • March 2016 (14)
  • February 2016 (14)
  • January 2016 (2)
  • November 2015 (27)
  • October 2015 (15)
  • September 2015 (5)
  • August 2015 (2)
  • July 2015 (2)
  • June 2015 (1)
  • May 2015 (3)
  • April 2015 (5)
  • March 2015 (3)
  • February 2015 (5)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (1)
  • November 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (3)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (4)
  • July 2014 (4)
  • June 2014 (6)
  • May 2014 (8)
  • April 2014 (4)
  • March 2014 (5)
  • February 2014 (7)
  • January 2014 (3)
  • December 2013 (3)
  • November 2013 (5)
  • October 2013 (7)
  • September 2013 (2)
  • August 2013 (2)
  • July 2013 (4)
  • June 2013 (8)
  • May 2013 (7)
  • April 2013 (7)
  • March 2013 (4)
  • February 2013 (6)
  • January 2013 (4)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (5)
  • October 2012 (11)
  • September 2012 (10)
  • August 2012 (13)
  • July 2012 (8)
  • June 2012 (9)
  • May 2012 (11)
  • April 2012 (10)
  • March 2012 (16)
  • February 2012 (10)
  • January 2012 (13)
  • December 2011 (9)
  • November 2011 (9)
  • October 2011 (11)
  • September 2011 (7)
  • August 2011 (12)
  • July 2011 (10)
  • June 2011 (10)
  • May 2011 (9)
  • April 2011 (9)
  • March 2011 (12)
  • February 2011 (10)
  • January 2011 (10)
  • December 2010 (8)
  • November 2010 (11)
  • October 2010 (13)
  • September 2010 (6)
  • August 2010 (14)
  • July 2010 (15)
  • June 2010 (9)
  • May 2010 (6)
  • April 2010 (4)
  • March 2010 (3)
  • February 2010 (2)
  • January 2010 (7)
  • December 2009 (1)
  • November 2009 (10)
  • October 2009 (8)
  • September 2009 (7)
  • August 2009 (7)
  • July 2009 (27)
  • June 2009 (14)
  • May 2009 (13)
  • April 2009 (3)
  • March 2009 (4)
  • February 2009 (7)

Disclaimer

The contents of the Oncofertility Consortium Blog are for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Northwestern University

  • © 2015 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Careers
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • University Policies
  • Oncofertility Consortium
  • 303 E Superior Street, Suite 10-121
  • Chicago, IL, 60611
  • (312) 503-2504

Social Media


  • Parking
  • Maps
  • Shuttles
  • Directory
  • Bookstore
  • Library
Contact Us