Donor Egg IVF is an increasingly available and popular option for family building (see HFEA trends reports). Whether it be the use of donated eggs, sperm or embryos, more people than ever before have the opportunity to create a family. I think this is a wonderful thing, bringing a much wanted and loved child into the world is joyful in my mind. However, as well as the joy and opportunities there are some challenges too. Therefore, I want you to feel aware of the reality of some parts of the industry, so you don’t have any surprises in the future. This blog will focus on international egg donation and recipiency, with further good quality articles, website and podcasts linked throughout. Do your homework and make sure you are making a decision that is right for you right now and for the future of your family.
I am torn between wondering if the ‘smoke and mirrors’ aspects of the international egg trade are purposeful deceit, businesses prioritising money over the welfare of women and families or the result of clinics just not understanding why the topics below matter. So I want to share key information that I feel you need to know going into fertility treatment abroad.
Donor Egg IVF in the UK
In the UK egg donation is well regulated. The legal framework implements a 10 family limit to manage the number of potential half siblings. The altruistic egg donors that I meet through my clinics with TFP Fertility seem to be genuinely donating their eggs with a desire to help. They are able to claim up to £985 in compensation, but I don’t feel that women are in this for the money. This is a similar figure to egg donors in Spain who can claim up to €1110. Many donors have seen someone close to them struggle with their fertility and feel that they are in a position to help out someone else. In the UK people can also be a ‘known donor‘ or an ‘egg sharer‘. Each of the options available has different considerations. Check out the links above and use the Implications Counselling service via your licensed clinic to explore what this means for you. For more information about donation conception in the UK, you may find this blog of use.
Donor Eggs Imported into the UK
To meet the increasing demand for donor eggs, clinics in the NHS and private sector are starting to import eggs. Some of the clinics I work for at TFP Fertility are importing eggs from a bank called Ovo Clinic, with the eggs coming from Argentina.
The advantages of importing donor eggs into the UK via a clinic are that the donors still have to meet the UK legislation such as the 10 family limit in the UK and open donation: meaning that at the age of 18 years, your child can apply for the last know contact details of the donor. However, it is possible that donors may have created a larger number of families in other parts of the world. This means that your child may have a network of half siblings around the world. Some research has also indicated that some women in areas of economic hardship may not have total autonomy over their decision to donate.
The motivations of egg donors needs more research. I have a degree of uncertainty regarding what information is shared with egg donors outside my own clinics in the UK. Are they told that donor conceived children are likely to be curious about them and may try to make contact with them? Are they told how important this process can be for some donor conceived children? Are they encouraged to think about what this means for their own families now and in the future? Donors may be well informed or not. You have to think about how you navigate this with your family, how this weaves into the narrative you will be building with your child/ren.
International Egg Donor IVF
The Bloomberg group have created three podcasts and this article reflecting on the ‘egg trade’ around the work. Their investigation focuses on Greece, USA, India, China and Argentina and will not reflect the practices of all clinics. I warn you, this makes for informative but uncomfortable reading in parts. However, it is not all bad news, the article and podcasts also reflect the joy of donor conception for family creation. Read & listen here.
Let me summarise some of the key considerations that I think you need to be aware of:
- Presumed Nationality
The ‘egg donation’ treatment capital is Spain and people often tell me that they can get their head around having a ‘Spanish baby’. This makes sense as I think the Spanish culture feels familiar to people in Britain. However, the egg trade is international, just because you are having treatment in one country, this does not mean that the donor will necessarily be from that area. Due to donor anonymity, clinics cannot tell you the nationality of the donor, however you can ask if the donors they use have been imported, although they may not tell you where from.
- Number of donations
The Bloomberg investigation reported that internationally, record keeping of imports and exports of eggs is poor in some clinics. This matters as there do not always seem to be accurate records of the number of times a woman has donated eggs. In addition, a woman can donate at more than one clinic without disclosing where else they have donated. Therefore, keeping track of the number of children born from a donor is almost impossible. If you are using an egg from abroad, you need to be aware that there could be a larger number of half siblings than you are expecting.
- Finance
Egg donation could be seen as a financial means to an end. In countries where women may be more likely to experience economic hardship, selling their eggs can be lucrative. If you listen to the experiences of the women in the Bloomberg investigation, they are not solely motivated by helping people create families (although some people will be), they are motivated by the financial gain: which is understandable when a single egg donation could earn them the equivalent of a month’s salary or more.
- Anonymity
Egg donation is still anonymous in many parts of the world. However, I hope that donors are being told there really is no such thing as anonymity anymore. With the advent of direct to consumer DNA testing, AI and social media, we are all more traceable than ever before. Also, we know that donor conceived people are curious to know more about their genetic connections. In clinics where egg donation is seen as a business transaction we cannot be sure how donors are counselled around future contact and the importance of this for families. We don’t know if egg donors abroad are prepared for and open to potential contact in the future. You need to know this so that you can support and manage the expectations of your child in the future.
The reality is that we have few egg donors in the UK and consequently, long waiting lists. Despite the complexities of international egg donation, I still whole heartedly recommend telling your child about DC from an early age: you can read more about this here and here.
You have to decide how much all of this matters to you and your future family. You have to consider how you would manage this with your future child. To help you reflect on these important issues, please use the therapists at your clinic. If you are not part of a clinic, check out BICA for a list of therapists who have specialist training in expertise to guide you through these issues. To stay in touch, join my mailing list here.
