Donor egg recipients – what we offer
If you are struggling with fertility problems, you may want to consider egg donation as a treatment option. Below follows some information to be considered.
There are two options for choosing a donor and these are outlined below.
An anonymous donor – These are women who have donated their eggs altruistically in the hope of giving someone the opportunity to have a family. Egg donors are assessed by a doctor and a full history of their personal health and that of their family is taken. We exclude anyone who might have an increased risk of passing on a hereditary disorder. We explain to the egg donor the practicalities of being a donor and the nature of the information that we submit to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) about them. We make it clear that any children born following treatment with their donated eggs have the legal right at the age of 18 to be given identifying information about them, if they do not already have this information. All potential egg donors have one or two appointments with our counsellors before treatment begins.
Here is the HFEA guidance on the use of donor eggs: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/using-donated-eggs-sperm-or-embryos-in-treatment/
If you opt for an anonymous donor, it is important to understand that the donor will be identifiable. This means that from the age of 18 years old any donor-conceived child can access identifying information about their egg donor including full name, date and town of birth, as well as their last known address. It is important to consider, however, that with the rise of commercial DNA ancestry kits, donor-conceived children may identify sperm donors more easily, as these tests can reveal biological connections beyond traditional channels. The accessibility of genetic information through these kits has reshaped the landscape of donor identification for individuals seeking insights into their heritage.
A known donor – Eggs are donated by someone you know personally and is specifically for your treatment only. This can be a friend, or a family member who would like to help you create a family (as long as the person providing the sperm for the treatment and the donor egg provider are not genetically related).
Screening – It’s important to note that all fertility clinics and eggs banks licensed by the HFEA follow the same screening regulations and must fully screen both anonymous egg donors and known egg donors in the same way. To ensure that the donor eggs are safe to use, these are screened for infections such as chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. Additionally to these, certain genetic disorders are also screened for. Donated eggs might also need to be quarantined for a minimum of three months after which they are retested.
Legal parenthood rights – It’s paramount that you understand your legal rights with regards to parenthood.
If you are using donated eggs in the UK, you will be the legal parent and the donor will not:
– Be the legal parent to your child
– Have any legal rights or obligation to the child
– Be named on the birth certificate
– Be required to support the child financially
We will ensure that all the correct consents are completed for the treatments and fully explained in a treatment consultation appointment. However, please also see the link below regarding the HFEA guidance on ‘Becoming the legal parents of your child’ for further information:
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/becoming-the-legal-parents-of-your-child/
The partner intending to carry the pregnancy will attend for a baseline transvaginal scan to assess the pelvis and identify any gynaecological conditions that may require treatment prior to a pregnancy (such as large uterine fibroids). Other tests that might be required include female hormones, thyroid screening, rubella immunity and a urine sample to check for infections. The male partner, if applicable, will be asked to give a semen sample for testing and both partners will be screened for infections.
At the initial consultation appointment, you will be given information about your treatment and the doctor will recap all results and decide which drugs you should receive during treatment and supply the appropriate prescription.
Some women require a dummy cycle to see how long it takes to prepare the uterus to receive embryos. The doctor will decide whether you are likely to receive this based on your medical history and agreed treatment protocol.
After your doctor’s appointment you will be scheduled to be seen by a nurse for a treatment consultation. Any pending or additional screening tests will also be completed at this time.
Once your donor has been fully assessed you might be invited for an appointment to see the egg donation coordinator, where any outstanding issues will be addressed.
If fresh donor eggs are being used, after the donor has had their egg retrieval and the eggs have been collected, our lab will proceed to fertilise them with either your partner’s sperm which is provided on the day, or the donor sperm if this is used. If the donor eggs have been collected previously and are frozen, they will be thawed on an agreed day prior to proceeding with the fertilisation. The next day the number of normally fertilised eggs is identified, and the embryo(s) are cultured. Our embryology team will be in communication with you to provide updates on the embryos’ development.
A few days later, the suitable embryos for transfer are identified. At this stage, you have the option of either having a fresh embryo transferred or freezing all embryos for later use in a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) cycle. Which is the most suitable option for you will be discussed and decided jointly at the time of your consultation with us, as there are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches. However, when fresh eggs are used most of our patients opt for the second option of freezing all embryos with a subsequent FET approach, rather than attempting to synchronize the donor’s and the recipient’s treatment cycles.
Counselling is an integral part of any of our treatments. Before your treatment with donated eggs starts, you will be asked to attend a counselling session with one of our BICA accredited counsellors to have an ‘implications counselling’ session. During this appointment you will discuss the emotional and legal implications of egg donation treatment, the role of – and information available from – the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) and ways to access further information and support. The purpose of this is to explore with you all the important aspects of having donor-conceived children, now and for the future.