Egg and Sperm donation
In certain cases the use of donated eggs or sperm offers the best - and in some circumstances the only - way ahead.

Egg donation, for example, is essential for women who have suffered the misfortune of premature menopause. One in 100 women suffer from this condition before aged 40, and one in 1,000 while still in their 20s. It is also an important option for women with a high risk of passing on a serious genetic disease through their own eggs.

Donation also presents the best hope to older women with pre-menopausal ovarian failure. We offer this treatment up to the age of 45. Thanks to the great advances in treating childhood cancer, we are now seeing a growing number of surviving women who live to be healthy but, sadly, infertile. Availability of donors is usually the main practical problem. Active recruitment has been the only way to overcome this.

The ICSI breakthrough has reduced the need for donated sperm in cases of men with severe sperm disorders, but donation may still be necessary when a man has a high risk of transmitting a genetic disease through his own sperm. Standard donor insemination treatment is also a simple and inexpensive technique and many couples may feel it is the right choice for them.

It must be stressed that using donated eggs or sperm raises difficult emotional and ethical issues which need to be considered very thoroughly before a couple make up their minds. We counsel every couple carefully before the decision is made.

Try our interactive quiz about egg and sperm donation
 

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