Using egg donation to pursue medical treatment

What are the primary reasons for women to pursue therapy through egg donation?

• She is of advanced reproductive age (over 44 years old).
• She is unable to produce her own eggs, due to:
  – premature ovarian failure
  – removal of the ovaries, in cases of dependent pathology
  – ovarian damage, after surgery
  – radiotherapy or chemotherapy, in the context of cancer treatment
• She has an egg quality problem and repeated failed treatments with her own eggs.
• She carries a genetic condition that shouldn’t be passed on to their child.

What steps are involved in the treatment process?

The following steps are included in the therapy process:

1. Reviewing the couple’s medical history and doing all required screenings prior to the procedure.
2. The selection of donors according to the blood types and phenotypic traits of the couple.
3. The donor’s ovarian stimulation.
4. The process of fertilizing the donor’s eggs with the sperm of the partner or husband.
5. Embryos at the blastocyst stage can be cryopreserved, assuming no embryo transfer is done.
6. Recipient’s endometrial preparation.
7. Transfer of the embryo at the blastocyst stage (5th day).

What are the success rates?

It should be made clear that getting pregnant through egg donation depends on the donor’s age, not the recipients. Our Donors are young women without health or fertility issues, ranging in age from 19 to 35.

With a fertilization rate of over 70% in our laboratory, the donor’s medical profile guarantees pregnancy rates close to 50%, while reducing miscarriages.

Egg Donation Treatment: Legislative Framework in Greece

Legal Regulations

1. Age Limit for Recipients:

• Women can undergo medically assisted reproduction up to the age of 54.
• Women aged 50 to 54 need special permission from the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction.

2. Donor Age Requirements:

• Donors must be between 18 and 35 years old.
• This age limit can be extended to 40, under extraordinary circumstances, with the Authority’s approval.

3. Cryopreservation:

• Donor reproductive material can be retrieved and cryopreserved regardless of immediate recipient availability.

4. Genetic Material Donation between Relatives:

• Allowed between relatives in a lateral line without the need of the Authority’s permission.
• Donors must meet age requirements and undergo all necessary screenings.

5. Anonymity and Disclosure:

• Donors can choose to remain anonymous or have their identity disclosed to the child upon reaching adulthood, if requested.
• Anonymous donors’ medical information is kept confidential and accessible only to the child for health-related reasons.
• There are no legal parental obligations for third-party donors.
• The choice between anonymous or named donor is made by the recipients.

6. Compensation for Donors:

• Donors are compensated for medical, laboratory, nursing costs, travel, accommodation, and biological stress.
• No financial compensation is provided beyond these specified costs.

7. Donor Registry:

• The National Medically Assisted Authority maintains a Reproductive Donor Electronic Registry.
• This registry tracks personal and medical details of donors and the number of children born from their reproductive material.