News Release
HHS Awards Three New Embryo Adoption
Public Awareness Grants

October 9, 2007

The Office of Population Affairs (OPA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), today announced the award of three new Embryo Adoption Public Awareness
Grants totaling $984,390. The projects are part of a public awareness campaign to
educate Americans about the existence of frozen embryos available for donation and/or
adoption.

The increasing success of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has resulted in a
situation where an infertile couple typically creates several embryos through in-vitro
fertilization (IVF). During IVF treatments, couples may produce many embryos for
attempts at becoming pregnant; several are usually cryopreserved, or frozen, and stored
for future use. If a couple becomes pregnant without using all their stored embryos, they
may choose to release them for donation and adoption. Couples who participate in this
relatively new process can agree to release their extra frozen embryos for transfer to the
uterus of another infertile woman. Embryo donation and adoption can thus enable other
infertile couples to experience pregnancy and birth. An estimated 400,000 embryos are
currently cryopreserved in the U.S.

The newly funded projects’ purpose is to educate the public about the process for
donation or adoption of frozen embryos for family building through the development and
dissemination of resource information, educational events and training opportunities.
Project activities are directed at those donating embryos and those seeking to adopt or
receive donated embryos, as well as fertility clinics and their patients, and medical and
legal professionals. The three new grant recipients are: Bethany Christian Services,
Grand Rapids, Michigan, funded for $328,130; RESOLVE, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland,
funded for $328,130; and Nightlight Christian Services, Fullerton, California, funded for
$328,130.

Additional information about the Embryo Adoption Public Awareness Campaign can be
found at: http://opa.osophs.dhhs.gov

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