Embryo Adoption

Embryo Adoption

Survey Shows Americans Prefer Embryo Adoption to Destroying Them in Research

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In a recent national public opinion survey, a significantly higher proportion of American adults would choose to place frozen human embryos with infertile couples for the purpose of bearing a child. Interestingly, the survey also revealed that twice as many Americans read or heard about human embryos in connection with stem cell research than in connection with embryo donation or adoption. Conducted in May and June 2009, the survey, "Public Opinion Regarding the Disposition of Frozen Human Embryos," found that a significantly higher proportion of American adults (68.8 percent) prefer frozen human embryo placement with other families, but less than one out of five (19.5 percent) prefer donation of the embryos for research. Although 88 percent surveyed had heard about human embryos in the past 6 months, less than half (37.1 percent) heard about them in connection with donation or adoption. More than twice as many Americans (82.2 percent) heard about human embryos in connection with stem cell research. Even the sub-group "very liberal" preferred donation to an infertile couple (49.1 percent) over donation for research (43.4 percent) the Nightlight Christian Adoptions survey found. When asked the question, "How do you characterize your personal belief or philosophy regarding the point at which embryos are thought of as human lives," the largest proportion (42.6 percent) chose conception, followed closely by viability of pregnancy (30.4 percent). Fewer respondents chose the point when an embryo was transferred to the woman's womb (13.8 percent) and after the birth of the child (13.2 percent).