In Vitro fertilization (IVF) has become popular over the last few years as many couples rely on conceiving a child through IVF. It is a simple method but success rate is still at 35% for women under the age of 32. IVF egg donation, on the other hand, has a higher success rate at 50%. IVF egg donation is the method of obtaining ova from a donor for reproduction purposes.
IVF egg donation is preferred if the woman is above 35 years old or is in her menopausal stage. At this age, eggs produced would be lesser and of poorer quality. Irregular periods can also make it hard to estimate when the egg maturation cycle will begin. This type of IVF is also highly recommended for women having ovarian problems wherein the eggs do not mature properly. Donors are also considered if there have been repeated IVF failures due to unresponsiveness to drug therapy or failure of implantation. Lastly, this option is done to reduce the risk of heredofamilial diseases.
Choosing the Egg Donor
IVF egg donation is managed by many clinics. Donors are grouped into 3 categories.
- First are the anonymous donors. They are unrelated to the recipient and are in it for humanitarian or monetary reasons. However, in some instances they would consent to meeting with the recipient. Some would even build a positive relationship with the recepient over time even after the child is born.
- Second are those that the recipient has a relationship with. The donor can either be a friend or a relative. Some clinics, though, do not allow it especially for those who are related so as to reduce the risk of passing inherited diseases to the offspring.
- The third group is the women who had successful IVF and are willing to share their eggs. This is a cost-effective method for both the donor and the recipient. They can share part of the cost of the IVF which can be quite expensive.
All 3 types of donors will undergo the same set of medical and family history taking, physical examinations, diagnostic tests and psychological evaluations to ensure that the donor has a considerable number of and superior quality eggs. Also, this can prevent any hereditary or transmittable diseases to be passed on.
IVF Egg Donation Procedure
Donors are made to sign a consent to protect either party from legal responsibilities and possible lawsuits. This is also to note that the donor is of legal age and voluntarily assent to the terms of the clinic.
Donors are then screened, and results are analyzed through strict criteria. Only those that pass through all the tests can be used for IVF egg donation. After the screening and a donor is chosen, the menstrual cycle is synched with that of the recipient. Birth control pills followed by a series of ovulation-suppressants are injected to the donor.
If the cycle is already synched, a follicle-stimulating hormone is then given to the donor. After 36 hours the matured eggs are gathered and combined with the sperm in a nutrient-filled medium. It may take 2-5 days before the embryos can be transferred to the recipient's uterus. They would have to wait a couple of weeks to see if the embryo would successfully develop into a fetus and pregnancy is established with the use of IVF egg donation.