The Moral Uses of "Spare" Embryos

Abstract

Questions are being raised about the morality of freezing spare human embryos and eggs, obtained by in vitro fertilization, for future use or experimentation. The author contends that it is difficult to maintain scientifically that a "multicellular individual," or person, exists prior to the eight-cell stage of division. Therefore, provided that the safety of the procedure can be established or if the risks are acceptable under a suitable protocol for informed consent, the use of previously frozen embryos does not raise issues different from those surrounding in vitro fertilization as such. (KIE abstract)