Egg
donation is a process where a woman donates her eggs for the purpose of
assisted reproduction.Eggs are artificially fertilized in a laboratory through
the IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) technology. It works wonders for women who
cannot bear a child, women with genetic disorders single male and gay couples
by giving them an opportunity to enjoy parenthood. The egg donor’s eggs are
harvested in an OPD surgical procedure. They are then fertilised in a laboratory
and then the resultant embryo is then transferred into the prospective mother
instead of the egg donor.
Egg donation gives an opportunity for women
to have their own biological child that is not genetically theirs.With the
success rates increasing over the years, egg donation is proving to be the new
ray of hope for couples hoping to have their own babies.There are various
reasons why people proceed for egg donation. According to Endo World Hospital,
a renowned IVF and infertility treatment centre in Aurangabad, below is a list
of the reasons:
·
Women, who suffer from
premature ovarian failure, fail to produce healthy eggs which hinder their
chances of pregnancy. In many cases women also experience early onset of
menopausewhich can strike as early as in their twenties.
·
Women who have genetic
diseases or the ones who are born without ovaries opt for egg donation.
·
Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy
and other therapies which involve high radiation damage the ovaries and as a
result the ovaries become incapable of going through pregnancy.
·
Advanced reproductive age in
women may lead to weak ovaries and old women who have crossed menopause can
become pregnant with egg donation.
·
Infertile couples where the
female partner cannot have genetic children due to her own eggs not being able
to practically conceive or they have low chances of conception.
The scientific breakthrough in the form of
Egg donation and IVF has changed the outlook for many women suffering from infertility
or women who are at risk of passing on genetic disorders. It has enabled these
women to have children. The egg donor can either be a friend or a family member
of the couple seeking egg donation or a third person who has been recruited by
the clinic.
The egg donor gives her consent to go through
the donation and IVF programme. After that, she goes through a detailed medical,
psychological and genetic scrutiny. The next step is the IVF simulation therapy
followed by egg-retrieval procedure. In the laboratory, the ova is fertilised
with the sperm and after several days the best resulting embryo is placed in
the uterus of the recipient who carries and delivers the baby after gestation.
In most cases egg donation is anonymous or
semi-anonymous. In cases of anonymous egg donors, the clinic matches the
requirements of the recipient with that of the egg donor.In case of
semi-anonymous, the egg donor may provide their personal and medical
information along with their photo and the willingness to communicate with the
recipient either directly or through a third party.In many countries like the
US and UK, if both parties agree, the recipient can meet the donor and get
acquainted with them and their families.Anonymity and non-anonymity varies from
country to country. In countries like France, Spain, South Africa and the Czech
Republic the law of the land requires anonymity in case of egg donation.
Egg donors go through screening tests that
prove their fertility so that the recipient can be sure of the results post egg
donation. The screening tests include testing for any genetic diseases or
psychological disorders. This is the reason why in most of the cases egg
donation results in a highly enhanced pregnancy rate.
