Choosing Between Assisted Reproduction and Adoption

If you have not been successful with IVF, the next decision many infertility patients face is whether they should move to third party reproduction (donor sperm, donor egg, embryo donation (or embryo adoption), or surrogacy) or should they move to adoption. Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Colleen Quinn, an attorney specializing in reproductive law and adoption with Locke & Quinn, and Andrea Braverman, a therapist specializing infertility and alternative family building, and a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University.

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Hit the Highlights

What do we mean by assisted reproduction (or it is also known, third party reproduction)?
What is the actual process of using donor gametes (egg or sperm) or embryos?
What is the surrogacy process?
What is the adoption process?
What are some similarities and differences between assisted reproduction and adoption?
Legal distinctions/differences.
What are some of the psychological differences and things that patients should consider when making the decision of whether to choose assisted reproduction or adoption?
Known vs anonymous donation, which can happen with donor sperm, donor egg, or embryo donation. Anonymous and known are sometimes know as identified vs. unidentified. Are the lessons we’ve learned in the adoption world with open and closed adoptions applicable?
There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on whether to use a donor that agrees to be identified to the child when they reach the age of maturity or an anonymous donor.
Cost differences between 3rd party reproduction and adoption.
Predictability of total cost.
Ethical issues with using donated gametes.
Is adoption of children already born and without families the morally and ethically superior choice?