Did you know embryo adoption services were first offered in 1997? Since then it is estimated that over 7,000+ babies have been born into the loving arms of their family from adopted frozen embryos!

Compared with other traditional adoption methods, embryo adoption is still a fairly new choice in family building. Many couples are unfortunately unaware of this option when thinking about growing their families. In the spirit of ‘Back-to-School’ season, we have picked four fast facts about embryo donation and adoption you might not have known!

1. 1 in 8 couples will face infertility.

That means 6.1 million American couples struggle with this issue, according to the American Pregnancy Association. The problem can stem from both men and women. And around 33% of the time, the cause cannot be diagnosed. These couples will often times choose the route of in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, to build their families.

2. In 2012, more than 61,000 babies were conceived with the help of IVF.

According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, IVF babies make up 1.5% of the 3.9 million births in the U.S. alone. And this number continues to rise: In 2003, doctors performed about 113,000 IVF cycles, which jumped to about 165,000 in 2012 (a 50% increase).

3. There are now possibly over 1,000,000 embryos in frozen storage.

In 2011, it was documented that over 600,000+ embryos were kept in frozen storage in the U.S. Because of the increase in the number of IVF cycles performed, and subsequently the increase of embryos created, the number is thought to be over a million in 2017!

4. Roughly, Americans spend about $135,000,000 a year to store remaining embryos (yes, you read all of those zeros correctly)!

Usually, storage fees could range from $350-$1000, or an average of about $675 a year. If there are 1,000,000 embryos in frozen storage, let’s assume each family has an average of 5 embryos. That’s 200,000 families with remaining embryos. If each family is paying $675 a year to store those embryos, that means Americans are spending a total of $135 million on storage fees every year!

Next week, we will reveal four more facts about embryo adoption, including the security in the adoption placement.

Do you have remaining embryos in frozen storage? Wondering if embryo donation or adoption is the right path for you? Visit embryoadoption.org or watch out latest overview webinar.

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