Ethical Considerations:

It is highly likely that PGD will produce embryos that are mutation carriers. Deciding what to do with these embryos may be an important consideration. Options include discarding embryos, donating embryos for medical or stem cell research on BRCA, or freezing them in perpetuity. Other ethically challenging decisions may emerge through the process of PGD. For example, if all viable embryos carry a BRCA mutation, you will have to consider whether you will transfer an embryo known to have a mutation, and whether you would consider selecting embryos for implantation based on sex as male embryos have a lower cancer risk than female embryos for reproductive cancers.

Before you undergo IVF and PGD, you will discuss a range of possible outcomes and related decisions with your genetic counselor and PGD clinician and you may choose to extend these discussions to important people in your life.