The rapid freezing technique of vitrification is set to revolutionise egg donation as a fertility treatment by enabling freeze-storage egg-banking. The cryopreservation of eggs was one of IVF’s continuing challenges until the widespread introduction of vitrification; the older slow freezing methods induced the formation of ice crystals, which could cause damage to several structures of the egg. Thus, as demand for egg donation increases as a treatment for age-related infertility, egg banking with vitrification can theoretically provide a large pool of donor eggs without the present need for collection, fertilisation and transfer in a “fresh” treatment cycle (in which the donor and recipient’s cycles are hormonally synchronised).
Tag: egg donation
Egg Donation Enabled Me to Have the Family I Had Longed For
In the past, women with poor-quality or scarce eggs would have had to accept that they’d never have a baby, or else start thinking about adoption.But these days there’s another increasingly popular option — egg donation.
The Growth of Egg Donation Services and Infertility Treatment in South Africa
The use of egg donation for fertility treatment in South Africa has grown phenomenally, especially over the last five years. South Africa is a sought after destination for infertility treatment, especially from the African countries, Australia, Europe and increasingly, the Americas. The right to anonymity for egg donors, well-established processes and guidelines, affordability and very importantly, the availability of donor eggs have driven this growth.
California Bill Would Lift Ban on Paying Women for Eggs Used in Research
A bill awaiting Gov. Brown’s signature would end a decade-old disparity in California law regarding egg donation. Under current law, it is legal to pay a woman who provides her eggs, called oocytes, to a couple going through in-vitro fertilization. But there is a ban on paying the same woman for the same eggs if they are to be used in medical research.
Illegal purchase of sperm, eggs and surrogacy services leads to 27 charges against Canadian fertility company and CEO
For nine years, the criminal law in Canada has prohibited anyone from buying human eggs or sperm or the services of a surrogate mother.
For just as long, it has been common knowledge in the fertility-treatment field — and easily confirmed by anyone with Internet access — that such commercial transactions routinely take place, conveniently free of enforcement action.
That all changed Friday, with news that an Ontario surrogacy consultant and her company had been charged with 27 offences under both assisted-reproduction legislation and the Criminal Code, capping a groundbreaking, year-long investigation.
The charges laid by RCMP investigators against Leia Picard and her Canadian Fertility Consultants (CFC) in Brighton, Ont. — the firm also has a branch in Comox, B.C. — stunned the thriving assisted-reproduction industry, while also raising questions about whether the neglected legislation itself is even needed. Critics applauded what they considered long-overdue action. Read full article.
Frozen egg procedure benefits couple coping with infertility
SALT LAKE CITY — Egg freezing had long been labeled experimental, but in October the American Society for Reproductive Medicine declared that’s no longer the case.
The first baby in Utah conceived from a frozen egg was actually delivered nearly three years ago. Kirk and Heather Larson thought it might be their last chance for getting pregnant. Now, they thank God and science for their family.
“At first the donor egg part was really kind of mind-blowing,” Heather said. “We had never heard of anything like that. We didn’t know if we were comfortable with it.”
Premature ovarian failure left Heather unable to produce eggs.
“One day it just sank in to me and became clear to me that doing in vitro with a donor egg is not that much different than adoption. I’m just adopting an egg,” she said.
However, Heather’s first two attempts at in vitro fertilization failed. The Larsons began the adoption process. Then out of the blue they were offered a unique opportunity to participate in an experimental procedure at the Reproductive Care Center in Sandy using a frozen egg. Read full article.
I think of my egg donor every day
In the last few years, the backdrop to egg donation has changed a lot. Since 2005, sperm and egg donors remain anonymous to the intended parents, but the child can now find out non-identifying information about its donor at 16, and more detailed information, including name and address, when it reaches 18. Although the numbers of egg donors didn’t collapse after this, as feared, fewer new donors registered and there has been a shortage as demand has increased – around 1,300 women every year in the UK are treated with donated eggs – with waiting lists of around a year at some clinics, which has resulted in many women and couples seeking treatment abroad. Earlier this year, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) introduced a £750 compensation fee to women who donate their eggs – a recognition of the invasive and time-consuming process – which has resulted in shorter waiting times at many clinics. Read full article.
New Egg Donor Informed Consent Tool (EDICT) Demonstrates and Documents Prospective Donors’ Understanding
Prospective egg donors must assimilate a great deal of information in the informed consent process, yet it remains difficult to determine the extent of their actual understanding of egg donation and its potential risks. To address this need, researchers at the University of California San Francisco have developed and are presenting at ASRM’s Annual Meeting a two-part assessment of informed consent effectiveness, the Egg Donor Informed Consent Tool (EDICT).
Many Egg-Donor Recruiters Ignore Ethical Standards
A sizable share of the U.S. organizations recruiting egg donors online don’t adhere to ethical guidelines, including failing to warn of the risks of the procedure and offering extra payment for traits like good looks, according to a U.S. study.
Women are recruited to donate eggs to fulfill a growing demand by couples seeking in-vitro fertilization (IVF), but a number of websites seeking to recruit them ignore standards set by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).
“I would argue that there needs to be more attention from ASRM about these agencies, because you don’t want these women exploited,” said Robert Klitzman, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University and lead author of the study that appeared in the journal Fertility & Sterility.
Ethical standards set forth by the ASRM specify that donors should be at least 21 years old, and those between ages 18 and 20 should receive a psychiatric evaluation first.
Also, women are not to be paid for their eggs but compensated, equally, for their time. Donor traits such as college grades or previous successful donations should not result in higher payment.
But abiding by the recommendations is voluntary, and the guidelines carry no legal authority, though ASRM will sanction members who do not adhere to the guidelines. But that doesn’t cover non-member organizations.
“Our ability to influence the behavior of non-members is pretty limited,” said Sean Tipton, a spokesperson for ASRM. Read full article.
Lab-Grown Egg Cells Could Be ‘Fertilized Within the Year’ if License Is Granted
Researchers are now intending to seek permission from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to fertilize the eggs in order to test whether they are viable. Should such a study be successful, it would represent a breakthrough in fertility research and could open the door to greatly enhanced fertility for many women.