We continue our efforts to spread the word about embryo donation. As such, we participated in a live radio show on July 12, 2011, on WGCU Public Media in Southwest Florida with Vicki, one of our embryo donors and Lisa, one of our successful embryo recipients. It was an excellent opportunity to enlighten listeners on the perspectives of both parties. For those of you who missed it, you can listen to the recording at any time. Thanks goes out to Vicki and Lisa who for adding so much to the discussion.

I'd like to pose a question - If embryos were created from egg or sperm donors, is consent always required prior to donating the embryos to others?

Frozen embryos created from the donation of either eggs, sperm or both hold great promise for the future of embryo donation. Over the past decade, the number of babies born through gamete donation, especially egg donation, has grown tremendously. However, there is debate regarding the opinion that consent must be separately obtained from the egg/sperm donor before the recipient, in turn, donates the embryos to others. Our recent blog post touches on this very important topic and we'd love to hear your feedback on the subject.

Many patients who come to our practice, Specialists in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery, as well as Embryo Donation International, are without insurance coverage for fertility treatments. In fact, few states mandate coverage for these services, but a recent article details the advantages to offering it.

Covering infertility probably reduces the pressure patients and physicians feel, so fewer embryos are transferred resulting in lower multiple pregnancy rates (i.e., lower overall costs). Insurance companies, and society as a whole, may really benefit from covering infertility treatments. Besides, don't we need some future taxpayers? Please share your comments on our Facebook wall where we discussed this and many other stories and issues. Do you have a topic you want discussed? Let us know on Facebook!

Embryo Donation International is just that – international, but most of our embryos currently come from donors within the United States. We are currently working hard to expand and bring more embryos from other countries. Ever wonder where our embryos come from? Well we have embryos from 18 different states across the country, from Rhode Island to Arizona to California. For a larger map, please visit our website.

It can be a concern for both donors and recipients as to where the other party will reside... will their children end up interacting with the offspring of these embryos? Could they possibly grow up to know or marry each other unknowingly, etc.? Because our embryos come from around the country, and soon, around the world, the risks of intermarriage become astronomically small. Our selection of embryos continues to grow weekly through our wonderful donors and facilities supporting EDI. Our website offers a detailed, searchable database that is easily accessible to all