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Biotech / Medical : Embrex - EMBX -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: philip j gerth who wrote (57)	10/26/1999 9:17:00 PM
From: Ben Wa	Respond to of 59

-- Statement From Dr. Cappy Rothman, Medical Director of California Cryobank Regard -- /FROM PR NEWSWIRE LOS ANGELES 213-626-5500/ TO MEDICAL, SCIENCE AND NATIONAL EDITORS: Statement From Dr. Cappy Rothman, Medical Director of California Cryobank Regarding Gross Irresponsibility of Human Egg Auction LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "Recently much media attention has been garnered by private individuals seeking to profit from the sale of human eggs and sperm to infertile couples", stated Dr. Cappy Rothman, Medical Director for California Cryobank and leading male infertility specialist. "This growing practice is extremely dangerous for the recipient couple. The medical technology surrounding tissue donation is extremely sophisticated and sensitive. As the country's leading sperm bank, we've invested over 20 years refining our donor qualification process to provide the recipients the highest probability for a successful pregnancy and a happy, healthy child. In fact, all of our donors and their sperm go through a qualification process and quarantine period that takes a minimum of nine months before they are approved and their sperm is released for use. It is obvious that these individuals auctioning or privately selling their eggs or sperm are not educated, medical professionals. They do not appear to include any genetic screening or infectious disease testing, leaving this most important, critical step up to the recipient." "This kind of gross misuse is irresponsible, especially when the sale of the eggs and sperm are used more as a publicity stunt than as a serious medical service. This type of misuse may surely provoke ill-conceived legislation that may ultimately limit the reproductive freedom for all. It is important that recipients work with their fertility specialist and seek their donor tissue from an accredited, established organization. The American Association of Tissue Banks and the American Association of Reproductive Medicine are organizations that exist to monitor the quality and use of donor eggs and sperm". "It is important for the public to protect itself, be educated and informed, and reject obvious opportunists such as those auctioning their eggs or sperm. For those individuals seeking 'top dollar' for their eggs or sperm because of the perceived attractiveness or physical beauty of the donor, this misperception of the resulting outcome (baby) is best summarized by George Bernard Shaw. In the early 1900s Shaw was approached by a beautiful opera singer who stated, 'We would have such beautiful babies, with my looks and your brains'. Being the intellectual that he was, Shaw responded with 'But my dear, imagine if the child had my looks and your brains.'" Dr. Cappy Rothman is co-founder and medical director of California Cryobank, Inc., in Los Angeles, California. He is a board certified urologist and founder of The Center for Male Reproductive Medicine. Additionally, he is a clinical instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles. A nationally recognized authority on andrology, Dr. Rothman is the author of dozens of scientific articles on male reproductive health and regularly lectures at national medical conferences. SOURCE California Cryobank, Inc. /CONTACT: Nancy Kent of The Marketing Dept., 714-703-9280, for CaliforniaCryobank; or Marla Eby, Marketing Director of California Cryobank, 800-231-3373/ Source PRN - PR NewsWire