Using donor eggs, sperm or embryos

At the Assisted Conception Unit we offer fertility treatments for people wanting to use donor eggs, sperm or embryos.

Using donor gametes gives the opportunity of having children to those who are unable to on their own. This could be single people, heterosexual couples or LGBTQ+ couples wanting to start a family.

We do not source or transport donors or donations but work closely with donor organisations and cryobanks.

What is egg donation?

Egg donation is when eggs are provided by a donor to another woman to get pregnant. The woman can either be the intended parent of the child, or a surrogate mother. Eggs are fertilised by mixing with the intended father’s or chosen sperm, and then the fertilised egg (embryo) is placed into the intended mother’s or surrogate’s uterus (womb).

For female patients experiencing fertility issues, fertility investigations can be used to understand your ability to conceive. Female infertility can be caused by many reasons including egg production, quality of eggs and egg reserve. Using donor eggs is an excellent option when female infertility is preventing a couple or individual from conceiving, such as same-sex couples, older women, women with genetic disorders and women with an intact uterus but no ovaries.

What is sperm donation?

Sperm donation is another third-party reproduction option that can help couples or individuals conceive a baby. In sperm donation, donated semen is used to fertilise a woman’s eggs. Sperm donors can be known or anonymous.

Fertility treatment using donor sperm can be done by intrauterine insemination (IUI), an artificial form of insemination in which the doctor places the concentrated and processed sperm directly in the woman’s uterus. In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) can also be an option in which matured eggs are fertilised with the sperm in a laboratory.

Couples may opt for a sperm donation if male factor infertility is the reason they cannot conceive. In some cases, these issues can be caused by medical conditions or medications. Sperm donation may also be used by same-sex couples or single women. 

Fertility counselling is a vital part of all our fertility treatments using donor eggs, sperm or embryos and is offered to both recipients and donors.

Associated donor organisations

We work with a selection of donor organisations and advise patients to explore their options and find an organisation that suits them.

Benefits of using donor eggs

Using an egg donation is sometimes the only option if you’re experiencing untreatable infertility issues such as poor quality or no eggs, age, and genetic disorders. It can also be used with a gestational surrogate.

For patients using IVF with donor eggs, the more IVF cycles you go through the higher your chances are of getting pregnant. Figures show that there is a 59% success rate of pregnancy after the first IVF cycle, a 65% success rate after the second cycle, and an 89% success rate after the third cycle.

Benefits of using donor sperm

If you are a single woman, experiencing male factor infertility or using a gestational surrogate using donor sperm can help you have a child.

For patients using IUI with donor sperm, most women require multiple insemination cycles. A study found the pregnancy rate per cycle to be 17.2%. 

Risks of using donor eggs

Using donated eggs can increase the risk of high blood pressure and is also associated with other risks such as:

• premature delivery
• needing a caesarean section
• low birth weight

Risks for the donor include:

• a higher chance of becoming pregnant
• ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) caused by the stimulation stage of the process

Risks of using donor sperm

For some genetic diseases there is no standard testing method on sperm. If the sperm bank doesn’t follow protocols related to handling sperm correctly, an infection could be a risk.  However, there are no health risks associated with being a sperm donor.