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egg donation - Fertility Information - Treatment - Egg Donation

Egg Donation

Egg donation is offered to couples if the female produces no/very low numbers of eggs. This treatment may also be offered if, in the hormone profile an elevated FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) has occurred. If this has occurred it can indicate that there is premature ovarian failure which means that the numbers of eggs present in the ovaries are reduced. In some cases the FSH is within normal parameters but the response in a treatment cycle results in low numbers or poor quality eggs.

An Egg Donation cycle involves a woman donating her eggs following an IVF/ICSI cycle to a recipient (the woman who needs the eggs). The eggs are fertilised on the day of egg collection with the male partners’ sperm. The resulting embryos are placed into the recipients’ uterus 2-3 days following egg retrieval

Known/ Anonymous donation

Known Donation involves someone known to the couple such as a female friend or family member. The recipient will receive the entire number of eggs. Counselling should be offered to all parties so that the ethical implications of donation can be explored and how this could affect the individual and extended families.

Anonymous donation involves a woman donating directly to a couple or into a pool. This may involve more then one couple receiving eggs from one donation. The recipient couple are not provided with identifying information about the donor. The donor is not provided with information pertaining to the recipient couple. Again, implication counselling should be offered to all parties so that the implications of donation can be explored and how this could affect the individual and extended families.

Shared egg Donation

Shared egg donation involves a woman who needs IVF agreeing to share a proportion of eggs retrieved with another couple. The recipient couple in exchange pay for the donor’s treatment cycle. The number of eggs each couple receive may vary with each different clinic.
Shared egg donation tends to be anonymous so either couple are not provided with information about each other.

Screening of Donors

All ovum donors and recipients should be seen by a doctor and under go various investigations. These include screening test such as HIV, Hepatitis C and screening for sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia. Some units may offer chromosomal testing. This is to protect the recipient and any child born of treatment. The donor will also have a hormonal profile and ultra sound performed.

Counselling

All parties involved in donation need to be counselled by a fertility counsellor. The counsellor should explore:

• How couples feel about donation and any child born of the treatment.
• The ethical implications of donation
• Telling the child about how they were conceived.
• The rights of the child to sue the donor if the child is born with an illness which transpires that the donor withheld information pertaining to which was not disclosed at the time of their treatment.
• The role of the central register should also be discussed. This is held by HFEA and contains all donor information relating to treatment cycles.
• A child born of a donor cycle can also contact HFEA to find out if they are related to a future partner.

Changes to the law

HFEA has proposed changes to the anonymity law which are to be introduced in April 2005. These changes relate to the anonymity of donors. From April 2005 children born of donor cycles will, at the age of 18, have access to identifying information relating to the donor. Donors will be unable to donate anonymously.

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