Authors

Sara E. Barton, M.D., Katharine F. Correia, M.A., Shirley Shalev, Ph.D., Stacey A. Missmer, Sc.D., Lisa Soleymani Lehmann, M.D., Ph.D., Divya K. Shah, M.D., Elizabeth S. Ginsburg, M.D.

Vol 98, Issue 3, Pages 735-740.e5

Abstract

Objective:

To measure public attitudes toward posthumous reproduction.

Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting:

Electronic survey.

Patients:

1,049 men and women living in the United States between the ages of 18 and 75 years.

Interventions:

Multiple-choice questionnaire.

Main outcome measures:

Descriptive statistics regarding support for posthumous reproduction, such as regarding emergency harvesting of gametes, and attitudes toward consent; multivariable analyses of demographic and personal experiences associated with support for posthumous reproduction.

Results:

47.8% supported and 31.1% opposed retrieving gametes from men, and 42.7% supported and 35.9% opposed retrieving gametes from women. The remainder was undecided. Among supporters, 69.8% believed prior consent from the deceased was required. Support was positively associated with younger age, higher education, higher income, Democratic political party affiliation, history of infertility, and currently attempting conception (p

Conclusions:

Almost 50% of the general population support posthumous reproduction in men and women. The majority favored prior consent from the deceased. These data caution against emergency gamete harvesting without prior consent.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(12)00598-5/fulltext