Third-party reproduction, or conception, refers to the use of donor sperm, donor eggs or gestational carriers. The donors may be known or anonymous. Patients will consult with one of our physicians to determine if one of these approaches would be suitable for their situation.

Before proceeding, patients should be fully aware of the social, psychological, legal and ethical issues associated with such options. Psychological counselling with a licensed counsellor is mandatory. Infectious disease screening of both partners is also a prerequisite. Legal counsel is required when proceeding with the use of donor eggs or a gestational carrier.
 

Donor sperm

Donor sperm may be an option in cases of severe male infertility or when a male partner carries a genetic disorder. This is also an option for single women or same sex female partners to conceive. At Mount Sinai Hospital, we work with Health Canada accredited sperm banks that transfer selected anonymous donor sperm samples to us. Donor sperm may be used for intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures as well as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment.
   

Donor eggs

Women with an intact uterus but with diminished ovarian function, absent ovaries, or the risk of transmitting genetic diseases may be candidates for using eggs donated by a known or anonymous altruistic donor. Altruistic means that the donor cannot receive any form of compensation for donating their eggs. Most egg donors are known (related) to their recipients as there are very few anonymous altruistic donors available.

All partners must have psychological counselling prior to an egg donation treatment cycle. The treatment cycle consists of having the donor go through hormone therapy for ovulation stimulation while the recipient’s uterus is synchronized to prepare for the embryo transfer. By using IVF technology, the eggs are retrieved from the ovaries of the donor, and are then either fertilized by the sperm of the recipient’s male partner or through a sperm donor. The resulting embryo(s) are then implanted into the recipient’s uterus.

Gestational Carrier

Women who are unable to carry a developing pregnancy, give birth, or who have an absent uterus might seek the help of a gestational carrier. A gestational carrier is a woman who carries a pregnancy but the resulting child is not biologically related to her. IVF with egg retrieval and fertilization of the eggs is carried out using the intended parent(s) gametes (egg and/or sperm). In some cases, conception is achieved through the use of donor gametes.