Frozen Embryos: What Happens if You Don't Use them All?

Recently, celebrities Sofia Vergara and Nick Loeb have given attention to a relatively non-discussed topic: frozen embryos and what happens to them if they aren't being used.

Currently, there are more than 600,000 frozen embryos in storage in the U.S. Long before Sofia and Nick, though, there were families all across the U.S. who had struggled with infertility and who had talked about the unique opportunity that frozen and stored embryos present.

When couples undergo IVF (in vitro fertilization), oftentimes there are more embryos created than the couple wants to use. That creates a surplus of embryos and a dilemma of what to do with those remaining embryos once a family has decided its circle is complete.

Thanks to modern medicine and some families with big hearts, other couples who struggle with infertility problems can now adopt those remaining and stored embryos created by other couples.

This means a woman would have the option to carry and give birth to her adopted child. What was initially a dilemma for some has turned out to be an opportunity and miracle for others.

What options are available to the person who has remaining embryos and doesn't plan to use them?

Director of the Nightlight Embryo Adoption Awareness Center, Kimberly Tyson, shares why couples might decide to freeze eggs, as well as what happens to all the frozen embryos that are unused.