Liz Corbin is a medical assistant in the fertility clinic of a large metropolitan medical clinic and hospital. Liz really likes her job and is delighted when parenthood is made possible for many of...

Liz Corbin is a medical assistant in the fertility clinic of a large metropolitan medical clinic and hospital. Liz really likes her job and is delighted when parenthood is made possible for many of those seeking the clinic’s advanced technology. The clinic also stores and maintains the unused frozen embryos that result from artificial insemination. She is a little alarmed when her provider–employer informs her that four of the embryos are to be destroyed. Her employer has been unable to contact the owners (now parents of more than one child from artificial insemination) for directions, and space for storage is limited. Liz is instructed to destroy the embryos.

1. Liz is rather hesitant to comply with her employer’s orders, so she does a little research. She discovers that most fertility clinics ask couples using cryopreservation to decide early in the process how to handle their excess embryos. The choices are: (1) discard the embryos, (2) donate anonymously to other infertile couples, and (3) donate to scientific research. What might Liz do to influence the clinic’s policy?

2. Can anything be done to ensure that couples do not abandon their embryos?

3. If embryos are given to other infertile couples, how is a decision made on who should have them?