Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the excess frozen embryos being stored at our facility that patients no longer wish to keep? Depending on the parent’s wishes, embryos can be disposed, donated to research, or donated to an infertile couple. Embryos that are donated to an infertile couple can offer patients a very affordable alternative to either routine IVF using their own eggs/sperm, or donor egg and/or donor sperm IVF.
Pregnancy using donated embryos is sometimes called "embryo adoption". That term, however, is not completely accurate, as the parents have given up all rights to these embryos. As such, there are no legal complications after pregnancy and the intended mother is able to carry the pregnancy herself and give birth. The more appropriate term, and the one we use here at InVia Fertility, is “embryo donation”.
Before undergoing treatment using donor embryos, there are a few very important considerations to keep in mind, as this decision will have an impact over every aspect of your life, as well as that of the child that may result. It is not something to be undertaken lightly. First, understand that both donor and recipients must undergo infectious disease and medical screenings. The recipient couple will cover the costs of the donor testing, in addition to the cost of your own testing. Secondly, both couples will need to sign consents addressing relinquishment and acceptance of the embryos. The identity of the donating or recipient are never disclosed and is completely anonymous.
Infectious disease screening includes:
STD screening: Hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, syphilis, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, cytomegalovirus (CMV), HIV.
Standard Medical considerations include:
Health status, age, IVF cycle history from which the embryos originated, and future concerns of a genetic or familial nature.
All donating couples must also fill out a short “personal “profile detailing a bit about the donating couple, and their reasons for donating.
Recipients of donated embryos must also undergo standard medical screening and infectious disease screening. This includes a complete uterine evaluation for female recipients, complete obstetrical screening, medical history, genetic history, STD screening, and possibly a consultation with a psychologist.
Success rates using donor embryos vary considerably. Not all embryos are created equally, and at InVia Fertility, we only accept “good quality” embryos into our program. We try and select only those embryos that we feel have a very probable chance of surviving and resulting a pregnancy. Factors that may impact success rates are: age of the donating female patient at the time the embryos were frozen, quality of the embryos, method of freezing, and number of embryos available for transfer. It is important to discuss all of these concerns and factors with your physician before you decide to embark on this type of treatment.
Donated embryos are usually in limited supply, as there are many patients wanting this option of treatment, so there may be a waiting period or embryos that are not suitable for your needs. If you are a patient with embryos stored who is looking for options for the disposition of the embryos, or are a patient interested in being a recipient of embryos, contact one of our physicians for a consultation. It is the goal of InVia Fertility to provide our patients with every potential to have the family they desire.
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