oa Ethical Issues in Egg and Embryo Donation: Informed Consent

The use of human eggs and embryos in embryonic stem cell research raises numerous ethical issues and questions. This presentation addresses a range of ethical issues regarding the informed consent of persons who donate embryos for use in stem cell research or who donate gametes (egg or sperm) that lead to the creation of embryos that are donated for use in research. Informed consent refers to the process in which clinicians or researchers obtain permission from patients or potential research subjects prior to doing a procedure or enrolling the person in a study. The presentation will explain the main reasons for obtaining informed consent from persons during different stages of the process of donating gametes and creating or donating embryos for research. Special attention will be given to the local and international guidelines regarding informed consent, to the conditions necessary for obtaining informed consent, and to possible barriers to informed consent.