Some experts question whether hormonally stimulating the ovaries — which makes them produce extra eggs — and removing those eggs from a healthy, young woman could later increase her chance of infertility, but others contend there are no serious long-term risks.
Tag: third party reproduction
Fertility Treatment Bans in Europe Draw Criticism
France and Italy forbid single women and lesbian couples from using artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, or IVF, to conceive. Austria and Italy are among those banning all egg and sperm donations for IVF. Germany and Norway ban donating eggs, but not sperm.
Recommendations for Practices Utilizing Gestational Carriers
As part of their on-going mission to help member physicians provide the best in patient care, the joint Practice Committees of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) are pleased to announce the publication of a new document- Recommendations for Practices Utilizing Gestational Carriers.
Looking for the right surrogate? A new site rates surrogacy agencies
We recently read about the launch of Surrogacy Advisor, a new site that offers ratings of surrogacy agencies from parents who’ve used a surrogate to carry their child. The site also includes reviews and ratings of fertility clinics.
Surrogacy Advisor appears to be just getting started, so there’s definitely not a comprehensive list of agencies and clinics represented (and some are outside the U.S.), but over time it could become a valuable tool to help would-be parents who are looking for a reputable surrogate or a clinic to work with — one that others in their situation rated highly. At press time, just 11 surrogacy agencies had ratings, with between three and 22 reviews for each. You can see the average cost for surrogacy at each rated agency, and how long the surrogacy “journey” took, on average, in months.
For fertility clinics, you can see a clinic’s overall score (based on a survey completed by parents who used it), the total number of reviews (at press time, CT Fertility had the highest rating, and also the greatest number of reviews – 26, compared to as few as three for many clinics — though only 10 clinics were listed, including a few outside the U.S.), as well as the percentage of patients who filled out the survey who conceived on the first cycle.
If you’re a prospective parent you can click here to complete a survey for an agency, and the site includes videos and articles about surrogacy as well.
Would you use a service like Surrogacy Advisor?
Sperm: America’s Most Renewable Resource?
A new report in Time magazine reveals the U.S. is the world’s top exporter of sperm. But why? It’s largely due to America’s reputation as the gold standard in sperm, Time magazine senior editor Jeffrey Kluger said Thursday on “CBS This Morning.”
Sperm and Egg Donation ‘Should Be Like Giving Blood’
Lisa Jardine, chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said clinics should improve their “customer service” amid fears male donors are being made to feel neglected or unimportant.
So Who’s The Daddy? Ethics Dilemma Over UK Sperm Donor Boom
The gift of life is not immune to pecuniary incentives. Charities working with sperm and egg donors report a boom in inquiries from potential volunteers as new regulations allow fertility clinics to make more generous payments..
The Highs and Lows of Foreign Surrogacy
Adrienne Arieff went through three miscarriages before she learned she was unable to carry a child. Her search for a solution brought her to India, where she found a woman willing to carry her and her husband’s embryo in a controversial practice known as foreign gestational surrogacy.
Egg Donation Risks
Egg donation plays a key role in fertility treatment for patients who are not suitable candidates for IVF using their own eggs. There are many factors for egg donors to consider from both a physical and emotional standpoint before participating. Here are some facts that can help donors make an informed decision.
Is Donating Risky?
The overall risk of egg donation is low since the fertility techniques used are well established. Also, donors are usually young, healthy women with no history of serious medical problems. Donors are carefully screened for any conditions that could interfere with the procedure. However, there is still some risk of adverse reactions to the hormones used in this process.
In a typical ovulation cycle, several egg follicles begin to develop. One egg becomes dominant and matures so that it is ready for fertilization. The other follicles die off. An egg donor receives a series of hormone injections to stimulate multiple egg follicles to mature at one time. This means only the eggs that would normally be lost during a menstrual period are used in a follicle stimulation cycle for egg donation. This does not reduce the number of eggs available for future menstrual cycles.
The hormone injections used for follicle stimulation can have a wide range of side effects including:
- Bloating
- Mood Swings
- Nausea
- Headaches
- Hot flashes
A side effect that occurs more often in egg donors is called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). This causes swelling as fluid leaks out of the ovaries and collects in the abdomen. The condition can cause pain and bloating. In rare cases, individuals may need to be hospitalized for treatment.
Additional Egg Donation Risks to Consider
- If the donor’s body is non-responsive or responds abnormally to hormone injections the treatment could be discontinued.
- The actual egg retrieval process is a minor surgical procedure. It carries a slight risk of complications such as infection and bleeding.
- If the donor is sexually active, she may become pregnant during her treatment cycle if effective contraception is not used.
- Some donors have feelings of regret over not knowing a child who is genetically related to them. Mental health screening is done for all donors to minimize this risk.