Human Reproduction, Vol. 15, No. 6, 1416-1420,
June 2000
© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
Testicular tissue cryopreservation in boys. Ethical and legal issues: Case report
1 University College London and UCLH Trust, Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Laboratories, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 86–96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX and 2 The Institute of Urology and Nephrology, 48 Riding House Street, London W1P 7PN, UK
Sperm preservation prior to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is common practice in adult males. Spermatozoa are usually retrieved from an ejaculated sample although there are occasions when testicular tissue is used as the source. These techniques of sperm preservation present minimal ethical objections as the patients give their informed consent. Sperm preservation in children presents practical and ethical dilemmas in that the children cannot always give their informed consent, there are no regulatory guidelines and there is no guarantee that spermatogenesis is occurring. With the rapid advances in reproductive technology and the possible future use of immature germ cells by in-vitro maturation or transplantation, the demand for immature testicular tissue preservation is likely to increase. More information for the parents and oncologists with regard to this subject is needed to allow informed decisions to be made on behalf of the children. These issues are discussed using two cases of children having testicular tissue preservation.
Key words: boys/counselling/cryopreservation/ethics/testicular tissue
3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: University College London and UCLH Trust, Fertility and Reproductive Medicine Laboratories, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 86–96 Chenies Mews, London WC1E 6HX, UK.
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