How old do you have to be to participate in embryo adoption? ?

Question

I have a steady job but am single and have wanted a kid since I was 17. I am thinking about adopting an embryo when I am 20 or 21. Does anyone know how old you have to be?

Answer 1

I assume that you can't use your own eggs, right?  I've never heard of embryo adoption, but find it interesting.  Do you live somewhere where this happens often?  How old are you now?  You can adopt a child in MO at the age of 21, so I don't see why that would hold you back from adopting an embryo.

Answer 2

If you have the finacial ability to do so then it is generally 18, definitely by 21. There will most likley be adoption costs although some couples do donate the leftover embryos. There will be "storage costs" until you are ready for them and also for any leftover that aren't used your 1st cycles. The IVF cost won't be as high since your body doesn't have to be stimmed for retrieval, just the transfer. I don't think you would have any problems adopting embryos by 20-21

Answer 3

Oh geez. Just have s*x... seriously. Why bring a child into the world via technology when you can most likely do it how it was meant to be done.

BTW if you can afford any kind of adoption at 20 or 21 please forward me the name of your employer so I can apply for a job.  

Answer 4

http://www.embryoadoption.org/faqs/index...

here is some information on the subject.  but as you're young, i'm assuming un married, and unless you have a LOT of money, it's not going to happen.  

Answer 5

I don't know why so many people have problems with it!  These really are "children" who will die eventually if someone doesn't "adopt" them.  I even thought about this once or twice, but I doubt I could do it.  If I'm going to adopt, I'd rather take a child who is beyond infancy all together - since I'm not really all that keen on babies.  (This doesn't mean I'd NEVER adopt a baby, but for preference I like pre-schoolers.)  Mostly though, I had enough trouble in my last pregnancy - and likely will have even worse trouble with future pregnancies.  I don't think I'd be a good candidate for embryo adoption, because there's a significant chance the child would/will be premature or not come to term.  I might bear another child someday, but if I do, I think it will be my own genetic child.  

I am not sure that any of the standard adoption ages apply.  I know in Texas they really REALLY want you to be at least 25.  However, an embyo adoption might be different. I think your best bet is to find an agency that does this and just call them up!  

Answer 6

Why not use your own eggs?!

Answer 7

I agree with Lillie on this one.

I've heard of embryo adoptions.  Generally, it involves the "adoption" of leftover frozen embryos presumably from successful IVF families.  Rather than destroy the embryos, donate them for stem cell research or keep them frozen indefinitely (this IS an option, btw), the "genetic" parents donate/adopt them to other couples.

And yes, "genetic" parents is supposedly the term.  

Someone might adopt the embryo if there is something wrong with the woman's ability to produce viable eggs.  Another scenario is that the husband is infertile and this is used instead of artificial insemination of donor sperm so that both adoptive parents have no genetic connection to the child, instead of the woman having a genetic connection and the man does not.  It's supposed to be an option for men who may have problems accepting a child conceived by donor sperm.

I don't know if children from donor embryos ever have reunions with their "genetic" parents.  I imagine this has not been around long enough for the children to be old enough to search.  But as it is an adoption (homestudy and process is done), there should be some record available.

Regardless, I really feel this is another instance where our technology has outdistanced our social ethics.  This just seems way too fraught with dilemmas and problems.  

Answer 8

Do you plan to tell you future offspring the truth of his or her origins?

Will he or she ever be able to find out his or her true parentage?  Genealogy?  Medical history?  

Would YOU want to go through life never, ever being able to know where you really came from?  If you were Irish, Italian, if your parents were artistic, or had red hair?

This kind of thing is getting so far ahead of the ethics of it...please, please, PLEASE think of the CHILD, the HUMAN BEING who will be so intimately affected by this...who will never, ever have a chance to know whose DNA is in his or her cells...this is so much worse than sealed records, this is sealing away a person's entire genetic code!