After extensive testing and exploring other options, you and your partner may decide to consider donor egg or sperm to achieve the family you desire. Dr. Douglas may suggest one of these options in cases where maternal age, male factor infertility, or genetic issues present problems with conceiving. Understanding donor options can allow you and your partner to make an educated decision about how to proceed on your journey to parenthood.

Fast Facts about Donor Eggs and Sperm

• All donors are rigorously screened to protect the health and wellbeing of recipients and any potential offspring.
• Couples often choose donors with similar physical traits or backgrounds as themselves.
• You have the option of using a known donor, such as a friend or relative, or an anonymous donor from our donor profiles.

Donor Sperm

Male factor infertility can lead couples desiring to become pregnant to consider donor sperm. Low sperm count, poor motility, or abnormal morphology of sperm can make it difficult for you to conceive with your partner’s sperm. As well, sperm donation can prevent passing on inheritable genetic problems, such as hemophilia or cystic fibrosis, to a child. Donor sperm will be combined with your egg during intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in-vitro fertilization (IVF). All sperm samples, whether from a known or anonymous donor, must be tested and quarantined before use.

Donor Eggs

Sometimes, a woman may be unable to produce eggs for a successful assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycle. Premature ovarian failure, lost ovarian function, advanced maternal age, genetic abnormalities and poor egg quality can make the use of donor eggs a better choice. With egg donation, the donor eggs will be fertilized by your partner’s sperm in the laboratory. Dr. Douglas can use any resulting embryos for transfer to your uterus in the hopes of achieving a successful pregnancy. Typically, success rate with donor eggs are higher than average because donor eggs are taken from young, healthy women, so the odds of a viable pregnancy increase.

For more information, visit our website section “When to Consider Donor Gametes“.

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