Disposition of abandoned embryos: a committee opinion.

Programs should create and enforce written policies on the designation, retention, and disposal of abandoned embryos. In the absence of program-specific policies, it is ethically acceptable for a program or facility to consider embryos to have been abandoned if at least 5 years have passed since contact with an individual or couple, diligent efforts have been made to contact the individual or couple, and no written instructions from the couple exist concerning disposition. In such cases, programs may dispose of the embryos by removal from storage and thawing without transfer, though in no case should embryos deemed abandoned be donated to other couples or be used in research. This statement replaces the ASRM Ethics Committee document published in 2004 with the same name (Fertil Steril 2004;82:S253).