Donor Sperm Insemination is the same as artificial insemination, but the sperm used is that of a donor, rather than the male partner within a relationship. It is utilised when:

• A male partner does not produce sperm, or

• A male partner does not produce normal sperm, or

• There is a high risk of a man passing on a genetic disease or abnormality to a child.

Donor insemination may also be used as part of IVF for single women, or women in same-sex relationships.

Donor Sperm, Eggs, or Embryos can be used to facilitate ART treatments.

Treatment with Donor Eggs is advised if a woman

• Cannot produce eggs or
• Her eggs are of low quality.

This may occur due to

• Age.
• Premature Ovarian Failure ‘No eggs in the ovary’.
• Recurrent Miscarriage.
• High risk of the woman passing on a genetic disease or abnormality to a child.

The egg donor undergoes the initial steps of IVF to collect her eggs. The sperm from the male partner of the recipient woman, or donor sperm, will be combined with the donor eggs. Two to five days later, when embryos are formed, an embryo will be inserted into the woman’s uterus (Embryo Transfer). The recipient woman must take Hormone treatment to prepare the endometrium (lining of the womb) for the embryo transfer, and for approximately 10 weeks after the embryos have been transferred.

In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

IVF is the process used to conceive a child outside the body. Initially IVF was used to achieving pregnancy for women whose fallopian tubes are damaged or blocked due to disease or sterilization and as a result there is an obstruction between the egg and sperm. Now IVF is used in a range of circumstances to assist with conception. In IVF, the woman’s eggs are collected, along with sperm from the male partner or donor and both are left in a culture dish in a laboratory to allow the egg to be fertilised by the sperm. This creates embryos. An Embryo is then placed back into the woman’s uterus Embryo Transfer (ET). Excess embryos are frozen for use in later transfer procedures.

Gamete Intra-Fallopian Transfer (GIFT)

GIFT is a more ‘natural’ form of IVF. Fertilisation occurs in one of the woman’s healthy functioning fallopian tubes instead of laboratory culture dish. The woman’s eggs are retrieved from her ovaries as in IVF and inserted between two layers of sperm in fine tube. This tube is then fed into one of the woman’s fallopian tubes, where the egg and sperm are left to fertilise naturally. Today, GIFT is very rarely used as an option for couples who don’t want to use IVF for religious reasons.

Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

ICSI follows the same process as IVF but ICSI involves the direct injection of a single sperm into each egg to achieve fertilisation. It is used for the same reasons as IVF, especially when a man has sperm-related problems such as low sperm count or high percentage abnormal forms.

Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD)

PGD is offered to

• Reduce the risk of an individual or couple passing on a specific genetic or chromosomal disease or abnormality to their child.
• Women older than 38
• Individuals or couples who have experienced repeated miscarriage
• Repeated IVF failure.

In PGD, embryos are generated through the process of IVF ICSI and then one or two cells from each embryo are screened for abnormality prior to the transfer of the embryo into a woman’s uterus. Only unaffected embryo is transferred. This allows the individual or couple to choose a normal embryo for transfer, rather than face a difficult choice of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.