Commentary: Posthumous Harvesting of Gametes—A Physician's Perspective

Strong C. , “Ethical and Legal Aspects of Sperm Retrieval After Death or Persistent Vegetative State” Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 27 (1999): 347–58, at 348.

See id.

See Oktay K. , “Cryopreservation of Immature Human Oocytes and Ovarian Tissue: An Emerging Technology,” Fertility and Sterility, 69 (1998): 1–7.

See Weiss R. , “Fertility After Menopause,” Washington Post, Sept. 24, 1999, at A1, A15.

This observation is based on personal experience in three cases at the University of Washington, all of which occurred before our ethics policy precluded this practice.

See Davis O.K. and Rosenwaks Z. , “In Vitro Fertilization,” in Adashi E.Y. Rock J.A. , and Rosenwaks Z. , eds., Reproductive Endocrinology, Surgery, and Technology (Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven, 1995): 2319–34.

See Weissman A. , “Preliminary Experience with Subcutaneous Human Ovarian Cortex Transplantation in the NOD-SCID Mouse,” Biology of Reproduction, 60 (1999): 1462–67.

See American Society for Reproductive Medicine, “Guidelines for Therapeutic Donor Insemination: Sperm,” Fertility and Sterility, 70 (1998): 1S–4S; and American Society for Reproductive Medicine, “Guidelines for Oocyte Donation,” Fertility and Sterility, 70 (1998): 5S–6S.

See “Guidelines for Therapeutic Donor Insemination,” id.; and “Guidelines for Oocyte Donation,” id.

See Quinn P. , “Cryopreservation of Embryos and Oocytes,” in Keye W.R. , eds., Infertility: Evaluation and Treatment (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1994): 851–40.

See Assisted Reproductive Technology Committee, University of Washington, “Policy Guidelines: Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Policy for Posthumous Harvesting of Sperm for the Purpose of Reproduction with the Surviving Partner” (1997).