Donor Egg IVF: A Guide to IVF with Donor Eggs

Donor egg IVF is fertility treatment in which eggs provided by another person are fertilised with sperm to create embryos. An embryo can then be transferred to the uterus of the person intending to carry the pregnancy.

Depending on individual circumstances, sperm may come from a partner or sperm donor.

Donor egg IVF may be considered for many different reasons, including age-related changes in egg quantity or quality, certain genetic conditions, reduced ovarian function, previous unsuccessful fertility treatment or circumstances where someone cannot use their own eggs.

The reasons are individual, and a fertility specialist can help determine whether donor egg treatment may be appropriate.

The exact process differs between fertility clinics, countries and whether fresh or frozen donor eggs are used.

Treatment commonly involves:

1. 1Consultation and assessment
2. 2Choosing or matching with an egg donor
3. 3Donor screening
4. 4Preparing the intended parent's uterus for embryo transfer
5. 5Fertilisation of the donated eggs
6. 6Embryo development in the laboratory
7. 7Embryo transfer
8. 8Pregnancy testing and follow-up

With fresh donor eggs, treatment may involve coordinating the donor's treatment cycle with the recipient. Frozen donor eggs have already been collected and cryopreserved and can be thawed when required for treatment.

The fertility clinic should explain the expected process, timeline and what happens at every stage before treatment begins.

Donor eggs may be considered in a variety of circumstances.

These can include people experiencing age-related fertility decline, premature ovarian insufficiency, significantly reduced ovarian reserve, certain inherited genetic conditions or previous IVF treatment where egg-related factors are thought to be contributing.

Donor eggs can also form part of family building for some LGBTQ+ families and other family structures.

The decision should be based on individual medical circumstances and personal preferences rather than age or a single fertility test alone.

One decision you may encounter is whether to use fresh or frozen donor eggs.

Availability, number of eggs, treatment protocols and costs differ between programmes. Ask the clinic to explain exactly what the programme includes and what happens if eggs do not survive thawing or treatment does not progress as expected.

Screening requirements vary according to country and fertility regulator.

Depending on where treatment takes place, screening may include medical history, family history, infectious disease screening and genetic testing. Some programmes may include additional assessments or counselling.

Success rates for IVF with donor eggs depend on several factors and should never be interpreted as a guarantee of pregnancy or a baby.

Factors can include donor characteristics, egg quality, sperm factors, embryo development, laboratory practices and the individual circumstances of the person receiving the embryo.

When comparing fertility clinics, ask for success-rate information relevant specifically to donor egg treatment, rather than relying solely on the clinic's overall IVF success rate.

Also understand exactly what a published success rate represents — for example pregnancy, clinical pregnancy or live birth — and whether it is reported per treatment started or embryo transfer.

The cost of donor egg IVF varies considerably between countries, clinics and donor programmes.

Potential costs can include:

• Donor programme or donor egg costs
• Donor screening
• Fertility clinic treatment
• Fertilisation and embryology
• ICSI where required
• Recipient medication
• Embryo transfer
• Embryo freezing
• Embryo storage
• Genetic testing where appropriate
• Counselling or legal requirements where applicable
• Travel and accommodation for treatment abroad

Access to donor egg IVF differs significantly around the world.

Countries have different rules covering who can access donor egg treatment, recipient age limits, donor eligibility, donor compensation or reimbursement, anonymity or identity-release arrangements, family limits and the information a donor-conceived person may be able to access in the future.

Donor egg IVF may therefore be widely available in one country but restricted, regulated differently or unavailable in another.

If you're considering donor egg IVF at home or abroad, it is important to understand not only the cost of treatment, but also the rules that apply in the country where you plan to have treatment.

Access answers "can I have the treatment there?", Laws answers "what are the rules?" and Cost answers "what might treatment cost?".

It can be, depending on where you live and where you travel. Countries including Spain and Greece are among international destinations researched by people considering donor egg treatment.

However, compare the complete treatment journey, including fertility treatment, donor-related costs, medication, flights, accommodation, embryo storage and potential future frozen embryo transfers.

Most importantly, understand the donor-conception laws and regulations in the destination country and how these may differ from those where you live.

If you carry a pregnancy created using another person's egg, the egg donor provides the egg's nuclear genetic material. The sperm provider contributes the other half of the nuclear genetic material.

The person carrying the pregnancy has the biological role of gestation, but if they did not provide the egg, they are not the child's genetic parent through the egg.

This distinction can raise important emotional and family questions. Counselling can be valuable when considering donor conception.

Before beginning treatment, consider asking about:

• Donor screening
• Donor availability
• Fresh versus frozen donor eggs
• How donors are selected or matched
• What donor information is available
• What information may eventually be available to a donor-conceived child
• Number of eggs included
• Fertilisation policies
• Embryo development
• Donor egg IVF success rates
• Embryo freezing and storage
• Future frozen embryo transfers
• Total expected treatment cost