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Referral & Treatments
Egg Donation
Why do some infertile couples need egg donation
For a variety of reasons some women's ovaries are not able to produce eggs. The most common causes are:
- Women born without ovaries or with under-developed ovaries
- Women whose ovaries stopped working prematurely
- Woman whose ovaries have stopped working due to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or after surgery
- Women undergoing infertility treatment but whose ovaries do not respond to traditional fertility drugs
- Women undergoing infertility treatment but whose ovaries consistently produce poor quality eggs when stimulated (particularly more common in older women).
- Women who may be carriers of genetic disease such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy or haemophilia
Once someone is accepted for treatment by egg donation, there is usually a wait for a suitable egg donor. As eggs can only be obtained by donors undergoing IVF treatment there is usually a great shortage of donated eggs and most clinics have quite long waiting lists for egg recipients. Although the issue has received considerable publicity and the number of egg donors has increased, the demand for donor eggs considerably outnumbers the supply.
Once a suitable donor has been found she undergoes an IVF treatment cycle. The collected eggs are then inseminated using IVF technology with the sperm of your partner. The fertilized eggs and then left to develop into suitable embryos before a maximum of two are transferred into the womb. Of course the endometrium (womb lining) has to be prepared to receive the embryos, and this is achieved using a treatment process similar to that described under the frozen embryo transfer treatment.
Who are the egg donors?
Our donors are recruited from several sources:
- Women who are in a stable relationship, have already had children, preferably have completed their own family, and feel that they want to help infertile couples. Such women have come forward on their own initiative and have only altruistic motives. No financial incentives are involved.
- Friends and relatives of women who need egg-donation who agree to donate their eggs anonymously to other women on the programme. Sometimes family members are considered for 'known' donation to their relative.
- Some ex-infertility patients who had successful treatment but have experienced the distress that can be caused by infertility first hand. After they had their baby, some volunteer to help other couples.
Egg donors are screened in a similar way to sperm donors. This includes a detailed medical and family history and blood tests for various infectious diseases, including hepatitis B and HIV (AIDS). No donors older than 35 years are included in the programme. Details of the donor will not be passed on to the recipient until April 2005.
The government has decided to introduce regulations in Parliament to remove anonymity from sperm, egg and embryo donors who donate from 1 April 2005. This means that people conceived as a result of such donations will have access to identifying information about the donor at age 18.
How are the eggs donated?
An egg donor accepted in the programme undergoes an IVF cycle up to the point of egg retrieval. This involves taking medicines (and exposure to possible side effects) to stimulate the ovaries, blood tests and ultrasound scans to monitor the egg development, a small operation to collect the eggs and multiple clinic attendances. A considerable amount of time and commitment from the egg donor is required.