By
Chioma Umeha
Many infants are conceived each year using Donor
insemination (DI) method. Couples use donor sperm when the husband/partner has
no sperm or a very poor semen analysis (azoospermia, oligospermia, poor
motility), or when there is a genetic problem which could be inherited from the
male. Single women who want a biological child also use DI.
What is DI?
Donor insemination (DI) uses sperm from a donor to
help the woman become pregnant.
Sperm donors are screened for sexually transmitted
diseases and some genetic disorders. In DI, sperm from the donor is placed into
the neck of the womb (cervix) at the time when the woman ovulates.
DI – IUI uses intrauterine insemination with donor
sperm.
Donor sperm can also be used for in-vitro
fertilisation (IVF).
How does DI work?
1. Using
donated eggs
Donated eggs can be used in either in vitro
fertilisation (IVF) or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Before treatment takes place, you will need to
complete various consent forms.
The procedure for using donated eggs varies
depending on your clinic and the fertility treatment you are undergoing. A
typical procedure may involve the following steps:
For women:
• You
and your donor will be given medication to synchronise your menstrual cycles.
You will also be given medication to prepare the endometrium lining of your
womb for embryo transfer.
• The
donated eggs will be fertilised using IVF or ICSI.
• When
the embryos begin to develop, they will be transferred to your womb as in
conventional IVF. As the eggs will be from donors aged 35 or younger, no more
than two embryos will be transferred.
Alternatively, the embryos may be frozen after
they have been fertilised. This avoids the need to synchronise your menstrual
cycle with that of the donor and may reduce the stress of the treatment.
For men:
• Unless
you are using donor sperm, before treatment takes place you will give a sperm
sample to check that your sperm are healthy and active.
• On
the day that the eggs are collected, you will give another sperm sample.
• The
sperm sample is mixed with the donor eggs in vitro to fertilise them, or
fertilised by ICSI and then transferred to the womb.
Using your eggs in your partner’s treatment
If you are in a same sex female couple and you
want to use your eggs and your partner carry the baby, the process for
collecting your eggs will be as follows:
• After
being screened for sexually transmitted diseases and some genetic disorders,
you will be given a series of hormone injections to help develop and mature the
eggs within the ovaries.
• Once
the eggs are matured, they are collected while you are sedated by inserting a
needle into the ovaries through the vagina.
The eggs will then be fertilised, usually using IVF.
2. Using donated sperm
Donated sperm can be used in intrauterine
insemination (IUI) (known as donor insemination) or IVF. The treatment you have
will depend on your individual circumstances.
3. Using donated embryos
Embryos can be donated by people who have
completed their fertility treatment or by those who cannot use them in their
own treatment.
How does using donated embryos work?
Before treatment takes place, you will need to
complete various consent forms. The donated embryos will have previously been
frozen.
