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Risk Disclosure and the Recruitment of Oocyte Donors: Are Advertisers Telling the Full Story?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Hillary B. Alberta ,
Roberta M. Berry  and
Aaron D. Levine
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Extract

In vitro fertilization (IVF) using donated oocytes has proven to be an effective treatment option for many prospective parents struggling with infertility, and the usage of donated oocytes in assisted reproduction has increased markedly since the technique was first successfully used in 1984. Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in the United States indicate that approximately 12% of all ART cycles in the country now use donated oocytes. The increased use of oocyte donation in the United States has prompted discussion regarding risks associated with the process and how best to ensure the safety of oocyte donors.

Physical risks associated with oocyte donation include bleeding, infection, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and a potential, although unconfirmed, increased risk of developing various forms of cancer, such as uterine, colon, breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers.

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Independent
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Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 42 , Issue 2 , Summer 2014 , pp. 232 - 243
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2014

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