Using a donor to help you conceive

Heterosexual couples with male or female factor infertility, as well as lesbian couples or single women requiring assisted conception can access TasIVF’s donor program. Treatments can involve assisted insemination (AI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF), depending on your personal situation.

All forms of assisted conception treatment require careful consideration, but donor conception presents a few more issues that you must factor into your decision. It can have far-reaching implications, both now and in the future, for you, your partner and your baby.

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Donor options for infertility

If you’re considering using a donor, you may already have explored most other forms of assisted conception. Using someone else’s genetic material to have a baby can be hard for some people to come to terms with, and it’s vital you and your partner have open and honest conversations about your feelings.

Talking to a close friend can be helpful, and if you decide to proceed, we require you to have two sessions with our counsellor to make sure you are fully prepared for what lies ahead.

Heterosexual couples that are coping with infertility have the option to access TasIVF’s extensive donor program including donor sperm, eggs and embryos.

Using Donor Sperm

If you are trying to conceive using donor sperm, the female partner will either undergo assisted insemination (AI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF), depending on your personal situation.

Using Donor Eggs

If you are trying to conceive using donated eggs, you will undergo a HRT cycle synchronised with the egg donor's IVF cycle.

Using Donor Embryos

If you are trying to conceive with a donated embryo at TasIVF, you will have a frozen embryo transfer (FET).

Same-sex couples accessing donor sperm

For lesbian couples that desire a child which is biologically related to at least one of them, there are two main fertility treatments available at TasIVF:

  • Artificial Insemination (AI), which involves the direct injection of donor sperm into the womb. This is a cheaper and less invasive alternative to IVF, however pregnancy rates are considerably lower than IVF and some donor sperm may not be suitable for IUI.
  • In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), which involves the combination of donor sperm and your own eggs in a petri dish to form embryos. The highest quality embryo is then transferred to the patient or, to her partner (in the case of egg sharing or ‘partner IVF’) where they will hopefully implant and develop into a successful pregnancy. Any remaining embryos are frozen for future use.

Donor sperm is needed to complete these procedures. If you have a known sperm donor who is willing to assist you, he will be required to complete a thorough medical assessment, infectious diseases screening, and counselling with TasIVF. This process reduces health risks (such as passing on an inheritable disease) and addresses psychological implications of future contact.

If you do not have a known sperm donor then working with our expert donor team, you can choose one of our locally-recruited, de-identified donors. A clinic recruited sperm donor will give you the best chance of accessing the same donor if you wish to have a genetic sibling for your child, provided they haven’t withdrawn consent.

The treatment that is suitable for you and your partner will depend on the donor recipient’s general health and natural fertility as well as the quality of the donor sperm. If you are considering starting or extending your LGBTI family, make an appointment with a TasIVF fertility specialist to discuss your options.

Download our ‘Creating families for same-sex couples’ booklet »

Single women using donor sperm

For single women that are considering using a sperm donor to become a mum, there are two main fertility treatments available at TasIVF:

  • Assisted Insemination (AI), which involves the direct injection of donor sperm into the womb. This is a cheaper and less invasive alternative to IVF. However pregnancy rates are considerably lower than IVF, particularly for older women, and some donor sperm may not be suitable for AI.
  • In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), which involves the combination of donor sperm and your own eggs in a petri dish to form embryos. The highest quality embryo is then transferred into the womb, where it will hopefully implant and develop into a successful pregnancy. Any remaining embryos are frozen for future use.

Donor sperm is needed to complete these procedures. If you have a known sperm donor who is willing to assist you, he will be required to complete a thorough medical assessment, infectious diseases screening and counselling with TasIVF. This process reduces health risks (such as passing on an inheritable disease) and addresses the psychological implications of future contact.

TasIVF also offers single women access to clinic-recruited, de-identified sperm donors. This approach also gives you the best chance of accessing the same door if you wish to have a genetic sibling for your child.

To help determine the most suitable treatment for you, your TasIVF Fertility Specialist will conduct a thorough fertility assessment and then discuss the likely chance of success with AI and IVF treatment, depending on your age, reproductive health and how quickly you want to become a mum.

What to do next

If you are considering fertility treatment accessing TasIVF’s donor program, make an appointment to see one of our fertility specialists who can provide you with a complete fertility assessment and talk through your options.

You are also welcome to talk to our Donor Coordinator, either face to face or over the phone, to get more comprehensive information on what’s involved.

Of course, we treat any donor enquiry, and all aspects of care and treatment, with the utmost privacy and confidentiality. There’s a three month cooling off period with all donor procedures.

Using donors in IVF is a specialist area, and TasIVF coordinates our donor program to ensure it meets all ethical and legislative guidelines and standards.

Read more about TasIVF’s donor coordinator, phone 03 6212 7700 or email the donor team.