In Vitro fertilisation can be carried out with your own eggs or using eggs from a donor.
Without a doubt, the egg is the most important factor in the prognosis of an IVF, despite the sperm and the uterus also being part of the process. There are many illnesses, genetic alterations, disorders that can cause a woman to have fertility issues and hence having less effective eggs – she will therefor need donated eggs to obtain a pregnancy.
The first pregnancy with donor eggs was achieved in Australia in 1983. With the passing of the years, the technique has experiences an impressive success rate. At first, it was recommended to women with early menopause under the age of 40, to women who had undergone chemotherapy or had had their ovaries removed due to tumour pathologies. In time, the indications for the use of the technique were extended to all patients who for their characteristics (age, ovarian reserve…) were experimenting a bad prognosis for an IVF with their own eggs. It is the case of women of an older age where their oocyte quantity and quality is reduced, where they suffer from endometriosis and for those who don’t respond correctly to the ovarian stimulation or produce low quality embryos.
The number of treatments with egg donation have increased in Spain
In Catalonia there exists an obligatory register (
FIVCAT) in which all clinics in assisted reproduction must declare the IVF treatments they carry out. In 2001, 613 IVF egg donor cycles were registered. In 2011, this number increased to 10.146 cycles.
Currently, in Catalonia, the same number of IVF cycles with own eggs are carried out as with donor eggs. One of the main reasons for this data in that the demand for these type of treatments occurs at a later stage in life. In 2011 for example, 46% of the women that carried out and IVF were older than 40 years of age (FIVCAT).
Egg freezing as an alternative to donation
Assisted reproduction today offers an alternative to women: the preservation of Fertility through ovarian vitrification. Vitrifying eggs at an adequate age means women get an option in the future should they decide to postpone their maternity. It’s an possibility that does not guarantee the 100% of obtaining a pregnancy but does present itself as a good alternative to egg donation.
