[Embryo donation in developing countries]

In theory there are three things that can happen to surplus embryos: cryopreservation, discarding, or donation. Embryo donation has three different aims: clinical use (generally infertility therapy), research (basic biomedical research, stem cell research, etc.) or teaching (mainly used by clinical embryologists). We present a literature review that analyzes empirical data from developed countries (Germany, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Spain, U.S.A., Finland, France, Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland) regarding the probable fate of surplus embryos. According to the literature, embryos are most often discarded or donated for research.