Oocyte Donation

This technique was developed in the early 1980s to treat women who were born without ovaries, women whose ovaries had been removed, or those in early menopause. In some cases, this method is used to avoid transmitting to the offspring hereditary diseases that the patient is affected by or is a carrier of. The method entirely follows the IVF procedure. The only difference is that the eggs are not collected from the patient, but from a donor who willfully decides to donate them. The eggs are then fertilized in vitro with the spermatozoa of the patient’s partner. The resulting embryos will be transferred to the patient’s uterus.

 

This technique is increasingly used for several reasons:

Couples consult the doctor for infertility issues at an increasingly older age than before due to their studies and careers, while the decrease of physiological fertility has already begun, especially for the woman. Indeed, after 35 years old, female fertility significantly decreases and the number of eggs present in the ovaries drastically drops. Added to this is the more polluted environment in the world we live in, which dramatically shortens women’s fertility period.

 

Just as in the case for blood donors, egg donors are not compensated since their gesture is entirely spontaneous and voluntary. However, it is acceptable to refund away-from-home meals, transportation and other expenses to meet the medical needs regarding therapies, ultrasounds, clinical tests, egg retrievals, etc. The donors can donate their eggs for a limited number of times – around three or four times. Just as in the case of blood donation, egg donors need to undergo clinical tests in order to exclude sexually transmitted diseases. All hereditary diseases that can be detected through lab tests are also verified. Egg donation is anonymous.

 

It is important to note that eggs are cells, not organs. The ovary is the organ. Thus, egg donation does not involve ovary donation. It only involves products of the ovary, namely a few eggs. At birth, each woman has tens of thousands of eggs in the ovary, of which one egg will be released every month along the 40 years of menstrual life – around 500 in total. Therefore, the donation of a few eggs has no impact on the fertility of the donor, just as occasional blood donation has no consequences on the donor’s health.

 

Sperm Donation

This method has been used for more than a century via simple vaginal or cervico-uterine inseminations. The main indication is the complete absence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate or severe male infertility, which cannot be treated with the modern techniques described previously.

It is also used to avoid the transmission to the offspring hereditary diseases that the male partner is affected by or a carrier.

Just like blood donors, sperm donors also need to undergo clinical tests in order to exclude sexually transmitted diseases. Any hereditary diseases that can be detected through lab tests are also checked. The donation is anonymous.

Not only can male gamete donation be used during cervico-intra-uterine insemination, but it can also be used during an IVF.

Just as in the case of blood donors, sperm donors are not compensated since their gesture is entirely spontaneous and voluntary. Yet, it is acceptable to refund away-from-home meals, transportation and other expenses to meet the medical needs regarding laboratory examinations. Sperm donors usually make donations a limited number of times – up to four or five times.