The decision to donate to help an infertile person or couple is a serious one and may have life-long consequences. The doctor, donor coordinator or counsellor at the fertility clinic will provide information on the medical aspects and will explore the social and emotional issues associated with this decision.  Counselling is required for both donors and recipients.

Donors can donate to known recipients such as family members or friends, or make their sperm/eggs/embryos available for unknown recipients.

Who can become a sperm donor and what does it involve?

Any healthy male aged between 21 and 40 years may be considered as a possible donor.

Sperm donation is a relatively non-invasive procedure.   After medical screening and counselling the donor can attend a fertility clinic to produce one or more semen samples in a private collection room.  The semen samples are then cryopreserved (frozen) in straws and stored in liquid Nitrogen tanks.  After the cooling off period they can be allocated to patients.

Who can become an egg (oocyte) donor and what does it involve?

Any healthy female between 21 and 35 years, who has had children of her own, may be considered as a possible donor.

Egg donation is a much more invasive procedure.  After completing medical screening and counselling, the donor will start Information for Donorsan IVF cycle to include oocyte collection.  This involves taking medication to stimulate production of oocytes.  Then she will have blood tests and ultrasounds to determine when the egg collection should be performed.  After the surgical egg collection has been performed the collected oocytes will be cryopreserved and stored in special tanks.  Due to its invasive nature, egg donation is rare and usually involves donating to a known recipient such as a family member.

Who can become an embryo donor?

Extra embryos may result from completed IVF treatment. These embryos may be considered suitable for donation.  In Australia there are often long waiting lists for donated embryos.

How are donors screened?

Each potential donor is thoroughly screened by the fertility clinic in order to minimize the risks of transmitting infectious diseases or inherited disorders. All donors are assessed medically by a specialist doctor. Donors and their partners (if applicable) are counselled regarding the ramifications of donation.

Are donors paid for donations?

Donations of sperm, eggs/oocytes and embryos in Australia must be altruistic. No payments can be received for donation of gametes and embryos.   However, the fertility clinic will cover all costs associated with the donation including medical, counselling, screening tests and other costs, so that there are no out-of-pocket costs for donors.

What information do donors provide?

Donors must provide a full medical history of their illnesses including infectious diseases.  They will have blood screens done for infectious diseases.  In addition they will also be asked to tell the doctor about all genetically relevant diseases in their family going back at least two generations.

If the donor wishes to provide further information about their interests, religion, occupation or reasons for donation they can record these on a social history form which may be passed on to recipients.

Concerns

A number of issues may arise from donating sperm, eggs and embryos, which donors may need to consider. These include:

  • becoming a genetic parent of children they may never know
  • ethical or religious concerns
  • legal implications of the use of donated reproductive material
  • whether a child may seek this information in the future

Consent

There are various consent provisions which donors must be aware of. These relate to:

  • withdrawal of consent in case of a change of mind or changed circumstances
  • the requirement of the donor’s spouse/partner to consent (if the donor has one)
  • what happens in the event of the donor’s death
  • other matters including legal rights

These provisions should be discussed in counselling sessions and also be covered in the consent forms donors sign.

It is important donors understand the legal and moral implications of their decision, even if they already know the recipients.

Counselling

The above concerns and other issues should be discussed with an approved counsellor prior to donation.  Fertility clinics should have a counsellor available who specialises in fertility issues including donation.  It is imperative that any donation is made with full knowledge of the implications of donating and without coercion.  The counsellor and fertility clinic donor coordinator should discuss all aspects of donating with potential donors so that they are fully informed about the consequences of donating.

Cooling Off Period

There is a mandatory cooling off period of 3 months in Australia before any donor sperm/eggs/embryos can be used.

Do donor sperm/eggs/embryos have a use by date?

There has been no evidence of donor sperm/eggs/embryos deteriorating with time.  They are cryopreserved and stored in specialised liquid Nitrogen tanks.

 

Donors, recipients and individuals all have legal rights and responsibilities, please see the section on Donor Confidentiality and Legal Rights.