Embryo donation in Canada: Ethical, moral, and legal considerations from specialists’ perspectives

The proliferation of unused embryos at the end of IVF cycles has sparked ethical debates regarding their disposal, especially regarding their donation for family-building purposes. How do Canadian and US reproductive health professionals represent embryo donation for family-building purposes? Ethnographic research was conducted in Canada and the United States from August 2023 to April 2024. 21 reproductive health professionals were interviewed (one CAN lawyer, one CAN embryologist, two CAN social workers, one CAN psychologist, three CAN doctors, one CAN third-party coordinator, one US embryologist, three US doctors, one US nurse, and seven US embryo donation coordinators). An issue at the core of our interlocutors’ concerns was the logistical difficulty associated with this practice. A pivotal issue was related to privacy, how much and which information should be disclosed to patients. Another important aspect concerned legal disputes around who is responsible in cases where either donors or recipients may change their minds. A crucial concern is the well-being of children born through embryo donation. In the absence of national guidelines, these issues were managed differently from clinic to clinic, pointing to the need for national standards and early counseling.