donor assisted reproduction
Donor Assisted Reproduction
Learning that you or your partner does not produce viable sperm or eggs can be devastating. Receiving that news, it may feel like having a family is out of reach. However, that is far from the case.
Our team can help you understand and make the decision to use donor sperm or eggs, and will help guide you through the process from start to finish.
Donor Sperm
Aspire works with patients to arrange for sperm from one of several national certified sperm banks. Donors to these banks are appropriately screened and the sperm is quarantined. After you choose a suitable donor, the bank will ship a frozen sample of the sperm to our facility.
The process for insemination using donor sperm is different depending on whether female factor infertility is also an issue.
No Female Infertility Involved
If there is no female infertility involved:
- Donor sperm is used to perform intrauterine insemination (IUI) during your natural cycle, near the time of ovulation.
- Ovulation is monitored with a home ovulation predictor kit. To maximize the chances of conception, an IUI is performed on each of the two days following a positive ovulation test.
- In some cases, we may monitor your cycle with ultrasounds and blood tests. When the egg is mature, we will administer a ‘trigger shot’ of hCG (a key hormone produced during pregnancy) to trigger ovulation, and then perform an IUI on each of the two days following the shot.
Female Infertility is Involved
If female factor infertility is involved—such as irregular ovulation, single blocked fallopian tube, or endometriosis, —we will combine IUI with additional treatments to increase the chances of a successful process. In these cases, donor sperm with IUI is coupled with ovulation induction—stimulating ovulation with medication—or superovulation—inducing the release of more than one egg in a month.
Donor Eggs
Egg donation is an effective treatment for infertility caused by decreased ovarian function. Although this can occur at any age, it is much more common in women in their late 30s and 40s. For women unable to conceive using their own eggs, donor eggs offer the highest pregnancy and delivery rates of any fertility treatment, and also allow you to carry your own child. This path is becoming increasingly common; today it is estimated that more than 30,000 patients annually use donor eggs to help create their families.
Third-Party Reproduction Coordination (Surrogacy)
A surrogacy arrangement involves a third-party female carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.
Gestational surrogacy (also known as host or full surrogacy, or gestational care) is where the intended mother or an egg donor provides the egg, and the intended father or a sperm donor provides the sperm. The resulting embryo is transferred to the gestational carrier, who then has no genetic connection to the child.
The team at Aspire can work with you to utilize a known surrogate, or to find a surrogate, to help create your family. Using a surrogate can be a complex and stressful process, but we are experienced in guiding patients through surrogacy, and we have the tools to assist you in navigating this option.
