Third Party Reproduction
For many of our patients and couples, not being able to conceive is a challenging obstacle. At the Kentucky Fertility Institute, we offer third party reproduction solutions for those who may benefit from donor assistance.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, third party reproduction refers to the use of eggs, sperm or embryos that have been donated by a third person (donor) to enable an infertile individual or couple to become parents. The use of donor eggs, sperm or embryos can then be used in procedures such as IUI and IVF. Third party reproduction also includes surrogacy with a gestational carrier.
What is egg donation?
Egg donation is when a woman volunteers to give her eggs to another woman in the hopes of helping her become pregnant through the in vitro fertilization process. In other words, egg donation is an infertility therapy that allows women without viable oocytes (eggs) to become pregnant, nourish the pregnancy and deliver a child of her own. There are many reasons why certain women do not have viable oocytes. The most obvious is related to age. Certain couples have simply delayed childbearing too long. Other women may have a genetic trait that they cannot pass on or may have had their oocytes depleted following chemotherapy/radiation treatments.
How successful is egg donation?
Very successful. The national average delivery rate for egg donation is approximately 50 percent, as published by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies.
How do you choose a donor?
The Kentucky Fertility Institute offers patients and couples the options of known or anonymous egg donation. Known egg donation is when individuals or couples select a family member or friend to be their egg donor. Anonymous egg donation is when the donor is unknown to the patient or intended couple.
At this time, KFI uses a national frozen egg bank for anonymous donor eggs. There is a diverse selection of possible donors.
How do most people feel about egg donation?
Egg donation is now widely accepted. Thousands of egg donation cycles are performed each year in the U.S. and more than 10,000 worldwide. In certain areas of the country, every kindergarten class has at least one child born through egg donation. Couples routinely tell us that they love their child born through egg donation as much as imaginable. Many families have had their first child without infertility therapy and their second child through egg donation.
How do you get started?
The first step is to meet with one of our providers. We will discuss your individual situation, answer your questions and perform an ultrasound to evaluate your uterus. Please contact the office for further information or to schedule an appointment.
Sperm donation is when a male voluntarily gives his sperm in the hopes of helping a woman or couple to become pregnant with IUI or IVF. Just as in egg donation, sperm donation can be done anonymously or as a directed (known) donor.
Anonymous Sperm Donation
The Kentucky Fertility Institute assists couples with selecting anonymous donor sperm from sperm banks that are accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks. Such accreditation assures that these banks meet specific minimal standards for disease screening and semen quality.
Known Sperm Donation
Known or directed sperm donation is when individuals or couples select a family member or friend to be their sperm donor. We follow the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology as well as FDA regulations for directed sperm donation. We select only those men who pass appropriate physical, genetic and psychological screenings.
This process involves using another individual’s or couple’s embryo(s) that were produced from previous IVF cycles in order to conceive. For many patients and couples undergoing IVF, more embryo(s) are often created and cryopreserved (frozen) than are used to successfully complete one’s family. These remaining embryos are often donated, providing a unique opportunity to help other individuals or couples experience pregnancy and childbirth.
We follow the guidelines of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology as well as FDA regulations for embryo donation. We select donated embryos from individuals and couples who pass appropriate physical, genetic and psychological screenings.
A surrogate is a woman who agrees to carry a pregnancy for another woman or couple.
One of the most generous gifts a woman can give to another is to carry a baby for nine months. New advances in reproductive medicine make it possible for a woman without a healthy uterus to have her own genetic child.
When is surrogacy needed? The most common use of surrogacy is for a woman who does not have a healthy uterus. There can be many reasons for this, including infection, small size, scar tissue or poor endometrial development. Additionally, some women are born with ovaries but no uterus. At this time, KFI uses a surrogate agency to identify prospective surrogates. Please contact the office for further information or an appointment to discuss.
