PREGNANCY FOLLOWING INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION TREATMENT WITH DEAD HUSBANDS SPERMATOZOA - ETHICAL AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS

This paper describes the first pregnancy in a childless widow after in tracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment with her deceased husb and's spermatozoa which had been stored for nearly 3 years before use. Before his death the husband had received treatment for testicular ca ncer and he had given the appropriate written consent for the future u se of his spermatozoa. Of the 10 eggs injected, six resulted in normal embryos. Three embryos were transferred and the remaining three embry os are currently stored for possible future use. The treatment resulte d in a continuing singleton pregnancy. The case demonstrated the suita bility of ICSI in those difficult cases where the sperm quality is ext remely poor. This success is also compared with a widely debated case of another widow who was refused permission to use her deceased husban d's spermatozoa. It is concluded that in the case of posthumous use of frozen spermatozoa, the current laws are conveniently applicable in a chronic illness but not so in an acute illness leading to death. In t he light of the wide public debate on the issues raised by this legal case, the UK Government has also decided to conduct a review of consen t procedures involving the storage and use of genetic material.