Posthumous Sperm Procurement – Ethical andLegal Dilemmas

Overview

Objective:
To present a review of bioethical discussion and recommendations concerning posthumoussperm procurement and postmortem parenthood.Design: Review article.Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Masaryk University, Brno, Department of Obstetricsand Gynecology, Palacky University, Olomouc.Subject and method: Literature search in Database of Abstracts of Reviews of the Evidence(DARE) and MEDLINEplus.Posthumous sperm procurement and cryopreservation must be performed within 36 hours afterdeath. To established appropriate medical practice, it is important to consider all stakeholders inthe decision-making process: the deceased, the requesting party, the child, the physician and thesociety. There are only few legislative measures concerning postmortem parenthood and posthumoussperm procurement. The essential elements for postmortem reproduction are: judicialorder, ethics committee approval, bereavement period of at least 6 month before use.Conclusion: Posthumous sperm procurement is fraught with ethical and legal implications. Allstakeholder should be considered. Society for reproductive medicine should prepare acceptablestandard protocol.

Key words:
posthumous sperm procurement, postmortem parenthood, ethics, assisted reproduction,semen cryopreservation