Third party reproduction refers to involvement of someone other than the couple in order to achieve conception. It includes use of donor sperm, donor egg, donor embryo or surrogate mother in order to enable the infertile couple to become parents.
DONOR SPERM
The use of donor sperm through IUI or IVF enables millions of infertile couples to have a baby. Donor sperm may be required in cases of:
- Azoospermia (absence of sperms)
- Risk of transmission of genetic or infective disease to the offspring
Donor semen samples are provided by ART banks. The sperm donors undergo a series of investigations before their semen sample is collected. Then semen sample is frozen for quarantine period of 6 months. According to the physical characteristics (height, skin color, hair color, eye color) and the blood group of infertile couple, we send a request to ART bank and procure the semen sample. The sample is warmed and checked for sperm count and motility before being used for ART procedures. Consent of both partners is taken prior to use of donor sperm.
DONOR EGG PROGRAM
The use of donor egg has revolutionized the IVF treatment. There are certain conditions where donor egg IVF is recommended:
- Age of women >40 years, poor ovarian reserve (less egg count)
- Repeated IVF failure or repeated miscarriages
- Female is a carrier of genetic disease
In Donor egg IVF, the eggs are taken from young and healthy female, semen sample from the intending father and uterus to carry pregnancy is of intending mother. Prior consent of egg donor and intending couple is mandatory.
Egg donors are recruited through ART banks. The eligibility criteria to become an egg donor are:
- Age 23-35 years
- Married & should have at least one child of her own
- Can donate eggs only once in her lifetime
- Should not carry any genetic or infective disease
Egg donor undergoes some investigations and given hormonal injections for 8-10 days. When the ovaries are ready, egg pick up is done and these eggs are inseminated with intending father’s semen sample. The embryos thus produced are transferred to the uterus of intending mother. The success rate of donor egg IVF is >80 % at DREAMZ IVF.
SURROGACY
Gestational surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman (surrogate mother) carries the baby of intending parents through IVF in her uterus. She hands over the baby to intending parents at delivery. The gametes belong to the genetic parents or sometimes donor but not to the surrogate mother. This is often supported with a legal document. The medical expenses of the surrogate mother are borne by intending parents.
Medical conditions necessitating gestational surrogacy are:
- Woman with absent uterus or abnormal uterus (like hypoplastic uterus/intrauterine adhesions/thin endometrium/ small uni-cornuate uterus, T-shaped uterus) or if the uterus is surgically removed due to any medical conditions such as gynecological cancers.
- Repeated IVF failures
- Multiple pregnancy losses
- Any illness that makes it impossible for woman to carry a pregnancy to viability or pregnancy that is life threatening.