Table 2 Clinical implications for medical professionals and counselors

Step 2

· Offer sympathetic support by identifying the motives behind patients requesting information regarding their frozen embryo.· Facilitate discussion amongst family members and determine how much child and psychological supports are available.

Step 4

· Encourage couples to discuss the fate of their embryos from the time of its making.

Step 5

· Identify patient’s images toward research prior to offering information to obtain considerate and satisfactory consent for donation to research.· Recognize the possible alleviatory effect of research donation toward the guilt of disposal for many patients.

Common Theme

· Acknowledge that many patients have an identity of self as infertile and feel anxious that their reproductive capability is at stake during the decision making.

· Support the grief work of patients by knowing that they are trying to cope with the loss of both the embryo and reproductive capability.