The generous contribution of another person can help couples and individuals on non-traditional fertility journeys to build their families.
Members of the LGBTQIA+ community, couples facing infertility, and individuals pursuing solo parenthood can experience the joy of having children of their own through treatment with donor sperm, donor eggs, or with the help of a surrogate.
Donor conception involves having a baby through fertility treatments using donor sperm or donor eggs. Your donor may be someone personally known to you (patient-recruited) or selected from a donor program (clinic-recruited). Undertaking your fertility treatment with Dr Anna gives you access to Genea Fertility’s extensive donor database, combining their own local donor program with leading international egg and sperm bank partners.
Using donor sperm or donor eggs makes parenthood possible for people who are unable to provide either of these themselves for conception.
Fertility treatment with donor sperm may be useful for:
Donor sperm treatment can involve in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Donor sperm may also be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI); in these situations, this technique is commonly known as donor insemination.
Fertility treatment with donor eggs may be recommended for:
These donor eggs can be used in IVF or ICSI treatments, and the resulting embryo transferred to the uterus of the female partner or to a surrogate to grow through pregnancy.
Due to the emotional, social, and legal significance of conceiving through the help of a donor, fertility treatments using donor eggs or donor sperm have a few more steps than conventional treatment pathways. Each is designed to protect you as the recipient, your donor, and your future child, and upholds all Australian laws and regulations associated with donor conception.
Individuals seeking solo parenthood or same-sex couples may immediately be considered for donor fertility treatment. If you are in a couple facing infertility, Dr Anna may first suggest treatments using your own sperm or eggs, if the results of your fertility tests indicate this is a viable option.
Undertaking fertility treatment with the involvement of an egg or sperm donor can bring on varying emotions – you may feel hope and excitement for this opportunity to have a child, or you may feel disappointment in not being able to use your own eggs or sperm. In addition to Dr Anna’s expert guidance, you will have the full support of your Genea donor team throughout your treatment.
Before choosing your donor, you will be referred for two mandatory counselling sessions to discuss the legal and psychosocial considerations of becoming a donor recipient. If you have found a patient-recruited donor from your own social network, your donor will also need to attend for counselling with you. If you choose to make your selection from Genea’s database of sperm and egg donors, you will be given access to the full profiles of all available donors from their local donor programs and international partners.
Once you have made your selection, you will have a session with a genetic counsellor. This explores the implications of conceiving with your chosen donor, accounting for your genetic status and theirs.
Once consent forms and donor allocation have been finalised, you can commence your treatment. This may involve donor insemination, with donor sperm deposited into the uterus of the partner carrying the pregnancy, or with IVF/ICSI and embryo transfer to the donor recipient or to a surrogate.
Reciprocal IVF is a treatment available to same-sex female couples using donor sperm. One partner provides the eggs to develop an embryo while the other partner carries the pregnancy. It can be a meaningful way for both partners to feel connected and significantly involved in the process, strengthening bonds between each other and their baby.
Surrogacy refers to another woman or person with a uterus agreeing to carry a pregnancy for another couple or individual. Either IVF or ICSI treatment with donor sperm or eggs, depending on your circumstances, is used to create the embryo, which is then transferred to her uterus to continue growing through pregnancy.
Surrogacy in Australia is governed by strict laws, which may vary between states and territories. Your surrogate, also known as a gestational carrier, must volunteer her participation without financial motive. As it is unlawful to advertise publicly for a surrogate, most people find their surrogate from their own social networks, whether friends, family, or acquaintances.
Before embarking on fertility treatment with a gestational carrier, it is recommended to seek independent legal counsel to ensure you are familiar and comfortable with the legal nature of the surrogacy arrangement.
Your likelihood of a live birth is largely dependent on the quality of the eggs used for treatment and the health of the person carrying the pregnancy. All donor sperm and eggs accessed through Genea are provided by donors who have been comprehensively vetted before being admitted into the program, improving your safety as the recipient and your chances of successful conception and a healthy baby.
In general, success rates with assisted reproductive technologies using donor sperm or eggs is the same per age as using a person’s own eggs or sperm. However, many other factors can also influence donor conception success rates and it is best to discuss your individual chances with Dr Anna during your consultation.
