Counseling of recipients
Some clinics will only accept couples for receiving donated embryos if they are either married or in a stable relationship. Several points may be addressed with a counselor. The recipient woman and her male partner should be aware that they would be the legal parents of any child or children for all purposes and would consequently be responsible for all the costs related to rearing the child. They should also be aware that the resulting child will not be genetically related to the recipient or her partner. The cost of treatment and the decision as to whether to tell the child of his or her origin (positive and negative aspects of disclosure and nondisclosure), are also important considerations.
It is important for the recipient couple to acknowledge the possible outcome of treatment and the likelihood that pregnancy and live birth may not occur. The impact of treatment failure including coping with treatment termination, the grieving process and developing alternatives for the future should be discussed. In addition, complications such as multiple pregnancy and the side effects of medication should be discussed.
The use of donated embryos to achieve pregnancy in women beyond the age of the natural menopause remains controversial and such women should be counseled about the welfare of the potential offspring as well as the risks of pregnancy and labor in older women.