Patients who request oocyte donation are typically in their 40’s, often producing poor oocytes that may lead to a high percentage of chromosomally abnormal embryos in vitro. They are:

-Women in menopause
-Women who have had their ovaries surgically removed
-Couples at risk of transmitting genetic disease
-Couples with repeated IVF failure
-Women with ovarian function that for medical reasons cannot use their own oocytes.

For a variety of social reasons your biological age has not coincided with your desire for motherhood and now nature needs a helping hand.
Below we outline the principles of gamete donation and the pathway leading to this technique.

Compared to homologous (own oocytes) fertilization, heterologous IVF/ICSI is extremely efficient with pregnancy rates reaching 70% per embryo transfer. This is mainly due to the biological age of the donors. The accumulative rate for three cycles may reach 95%, miscarriage is about 13% and extrauterine pregnancies 1.3%.

Having a selection of associated  European IVF units for oocyte donation and a high number of donors registered, there is essentially no waiting list. First interview to embryo transfer is at maximum 3 months.

In most countries trading or sale of gametes is forbidden, however the donation of gametes, where the donor makes a voluntary, altruistic and spontaneous gesture, receiving only expenses, is permitted and often carefully legislated. For example in Spain, oocyte donation is regulated by Law 35/1988, while in Greece, Law 3089/2002 regulates  assisted reproduction. Oocyte donation is anonymous.

Oocyte donation is an altruistic humane gesture from one woman to another, giving many women the joys of motherhood. It should not be abused or unjustly vilified and remains a substantial sector in the field of assisted reproduction.

It is estimated that about 1 in 10 women who enter IVF programmes eventually opt for oocyte donation. Donors in our programme are selected from young women of 18 to 30 years of age screened for the following: normal chromosome complement, no family history of genetic disorders, negative for AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia, Herpes, Cytomegalovirus, Toxoplasma, Rubella, Syphyllis.

Where possible Donors are matched to recipients with regard to hair and eye colour and general somatic features.

A female at birth has many hundreds of thousands of immature oocytes in her ovaries. During her fertile years she usually ovulates one mature ”egg” every month, consequently producing up to 500 before she reaches the menopause.
Very few  of these “eggs” are used to realize her family. Some women choose to donate excess eggs to others, allowing also them to fulfill their dream of a family.
Once all the necessary clinical and diagnostics tests are carried out and the suitability of the donor is ascertained, the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient are synchronized using fertility drugs.
Women in menopause are placed on a hormone replacement type therapy. In time for the oocyte retrieval of the donor, the recipient couple travel to the IVF clinic to complete the administrative forms and produce the husbands sperm.
Embryos are produced in vitro and  a maximum of three transferred into the uterus of the prospective mother. Following transfer, the couple return to their home country . After 14 days a pregnancy test may be carried out.

Gamete donation has dedicated specialists dealing with couples who require donor oocytes or sperm. This technique  often raises ethical and legal questions,  adding  to the anxiety of the prospective parents.
Such a complex decision is of course ultimately left to the couple, however our staff and psychologists are available for free consultation.

Sperm donation is also volountary, altruistic and (different to the UK) anonymous. Healthy young men are checked for: good mental and physical health, absence of hereditary diseases or, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and hypertension. Negative for: AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia, Herpes, Gonorrhea, Syphilis and Cytomegalovirus.
Sperm is produced, frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen banks, and the donor checked again after 6 months for the above infectious diseases. Only sperm of proven fertility after thawing is used for donation.
Sperm donation is used for couples where the male partner has no sperm or problems with sperm function and physiology, where sperm cannot be used owing to genetic , hereditary or infective disease. Single women or same sex couples.