U.S. health officials have set standard guidelines for fertility clinics in order to prevent incidences like embryo mix-ups from occurring.
The purpose of the regulations is to ensure that clinics and laboratories meet certain standards regarding lab procedures, equipment, record keeping and employee qualifications. Since fertility clinics have been introduced in America, they have become a billion-dollar industry that is completely unregulated.
Although fertility treatments are not guaranteed to be successful, with uniform regulations, patients will be assured that clinics are operating at the highest levels of quality. Donna Shalala, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, noted, “We know no one can ever guarantee that every couple who turns to a fertility clinic will be pleased with the results of the treatment. But using this model, the state governments can reassure those couples that the clinics they’re using are living up to the highest standards of quality.”
