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Millions of embryos created for IVF "thrown away unused"

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Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Jan 20 2013 | 6:57 AM IST

The shocking figures show that for every woman who conceives a child through IVF, 15 embryos are made, and almost half of them are discarded during or after the process.

More than 1.7 million embryos prepared with the aim of helping women become pregnant have been thrown away since records began 21 years ago, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

The figures were gathered by the UK fertility industry regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which has recorded IVF processes since 1991.

Embryos are created from female eggs and male sperm during the IVF process. Some are then introduced into the womb of the prospective mother. Others, however, are put into storage, discarded as unwanted, or, in some cases, used in scientific experiments, the report said.

Statistics released by UK Health Minister Lord Howe show that 3,546,818 human embryos have been created since August 1991. These have produced only 235,480 "gestational sacs" - evidence of successful implantation.

As a result, 93 per cent of all embryos created

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First Published: Dec 31 2012 | 12:55 PM IST

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