EGG DONATION

Egg donation is a particularly efficient treatment option for several categories of women.  

It is helpful for women who have been diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency (early menopause), women who have no ovaries or had them removed, women who had multiple failed attempts IVF attempts, producing too few or poor quality eggs or those with a genetic disorder which could be passed on to their child. 

Egg donation in Greece is legal provided that is anonymous and altruistic.  

Disclosure of any identifiable characteristics of the donor to you or to your future child is not allowed. All information we can give you is non-identifying. You are not allowed to see photos or in any way come in contact with your donor. Vice versa the same applies for the donor who cannot get any identifying information about you. Any payment to donor is strictly forbidden and the donor is only compensated for any lost income due to time off work. 

According to Greek law, egg donors should be between 18 and 35 years old, and are selected following strict medical screening. A 10-family limit applies to all donors. 

As with all fertility treatments in Greece the age limit for the recipient is the age of 50.  

Gender selection for social reasons is forbidden.  

Regarding the number of embryos that can be transferred in an egg donor treatment, a maximum number of two embryos are allowed each time.  

Embryos created with both donor eggs and the recipient’s own eggs cannot be transferred at the same time. A recipient may only have fertilized eggs from one donor transferred at the same time. 

Based on your physical characteristics and wishes we will select from the pool of donors, a smaller group, which usually consists of 2-3 different, matched donors. 

We will give you a full description of each donor’s physical details i.e. age, height, ethnicity, skin tone, hair and eye colour, as well as information regarding educational background, work, hobbies and family. The choice of the most suitable donor is made after discussing with you and the ultimate decision is yours. 

There is a large pool and of carefully selected egg donors therefore in most cases there is no waiting list. However, occasionally depending on personal or ethnicity requirements for the donor it could be some waiting time, particularly for non-caucasian donors. 

We try to ensure that all our recipient couples receive about 8– 12 eggs from their donor. Our aim is to have at least 2 good quality embryos at blastocyst stage and this almost always is achieved. 

The egg donation in Greece is strictly anonymous and the law does not allow disclosure of any identifiable characteristics of the donor neither to you or your future child. All information we can give you is non-identifying. You are not allowed to see photos or in any way come in contact with your donor. Vice versa the same applies for the donor who cannot get any identifying information about you.  

We make every effort to match yours and donor’s physical characteristics as closely as possible. 

The following non-identifying characteristics of the donor will be disclosed to you: 

• Age  
• Eye colour 
• Hair colour 
• Skin tone 
• Ethnicity 
• Height 
• Weight 
• Educational background 
• Profession 
• Hobbies 
• Relevant medical and family history 

 Egg donation in Greece is legal provided that is anonymous and altruistic.  

According to Greek law, egg donors should be between 18 and 35 years old, and are selected following strict medical screening. A 10-family limit applies to all donors. 

Our particular preference is to give priority to donors less than 30 years old with a previous proven fertility record.  

In compliance with the Code of Practice of the Greek National Authority of Assisted Reproduction and the HFEA guidelines the donors are screened thoroughly via a detailed medical, obstetric, gynaecological and family history. Subsequently they undergo a thorough psychological and cardiological assessment. Women with any serious medical conditions, whose children have any serious medical conditions or whose close family have any serious medical conditions would all be excluded from being donors.  

The following tests are performed on all donors:  

• Blood group and Rhesus status 
• Haemoglobin electrophoresis, to exclude carriers of thalasaemia or sickle cell disease 
• FBC  
• HIV  
• Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)  
• Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV) 
• Syphilis 
• Screening for Cystic Fibrosis 
• Peripheral Blood Karyotype (test to assess the number and structure of the chromosomes) 
• Screening for fragile X syndrome, which is associated with severe learning difficulties. 
• Screening for spine muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder characterized by weakness and wasting in muscles used for movement. 
• Screening for sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea  

Treatment for both you and the donor may run simultaneously. The donor receives fertility drugs to stimulate her ovaries to produce eggs as in a normal IVF cycle. Donor’s treatment lasts on average 10-14 days before we are able to retrieve her eggs through egg collection. We will be able to confirm the exact date of egg collection 2 days in advance. The retrieved eggs are subsequently inseminated with your husband’s/ partner’s sperm and the resulting embryos are transferred directly to you. We can only transfer one or two embryos each time and safely freeze any remaining embryos for future use. 

In parallel with the donor you receive hormonal treatment either in the form of tablets or in the form of patches to prepare your uterus for the transfer of the embryo(s) and hopefully the resulting pregnancy. During the period of your preparation you would need to have a couple of ultrasound scans, a week apart one to each other, to assess the thickness of the lining of your womb. You can have those scans locally and email/ fax the results to us. 

An alternative option, is to obtain eggs from the donor, inseminate them with the your husband’s/ partner’s sperm and freeze any resulting embryos. In that case your preparation and embryo transfer can take place at a later date. A lot of couples, particularly those travelling from abroad prefer this approach as it allows for safer and more accurate planning in terms of book their flights, arrange for accommodation and take time off work.  

In either approach, the steps of fertilisation and embryo culture, the subsequent embryo-transfer and the after care, are the same as in IVF. Regarding the number of embryos that can be transferred in an egg donor treatment, a maximum number of two embryos are allowed each time. 

Regarding the number of times you need to visit Greece, you have two options.  

Your first option is to attend only once for your treatment, in which case you need to stay in Greece for approximately 7-10 days. You should arrive in Greece the day before the donor’s egg collection at the latest. This is because your partner/ husband would need to provide his sperm on the day of the donor’s egg collection, which is going to be used for the fertilization of the eggs. Subsequently you need to stay until embryo transfer which usually takes place 5 or 6 days after egg collection. 

Your second option is to visit Greece once before treatment in order to complete the paperwork and your husband/ partner freeze some sperm.  That sperm (the frozen) could be used to fertilize the donor’s eggs. In this case you would only need to stay in Athens for the day of embryo transfer. 

For you, the following tests are required:   

• Blood group and Rhesus status 
• Haemoglobin electrophoresis, to exclude carriers of thalasaemia or sickle cell disease 
• Rubella IgG, to check for immunity to Rubella 
• CMV (cytomegalovirus)- only if you are using a sperm donor as well 
• FBC (within 2 months of treatment)  
• Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) (within 2 months of treatment)  
• Vitamin D (within 2 months of treatment) 
• Chlamydia test (within 2 years of treatment)  
• Cervical smear (Pap- test)-  in line with national screening guidelines  
• Mammogram – if aged 40 years or above – In view of the increased prevalence of breast disease we would recommend screening prior to commencing a treatment (unless one has been performed within the last 3 years).  

The following blood tests are mandatory for you and need to be done within 6 months of the treatment: 

• HIV  
• Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)  
• Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV) 
• Syphilis 

A baseline ultrasound scan to exclude conditions such as ovarian cysts, uterine polyps or fibroids and/ or fluid-filled fallopian tube (hydrosalpinx) which can severely reduce the chances of a pregnancy if left untreated, needs to be done before embarking into a fertility treatment. If any of the above findings are present then a surgical procedure, hysteroscopy or laparoscopy may be recommended prior to starting your treatment. 

If you have a male partner/ husband using his own sperm he will need to have the following tests: 

• Blood group and Rhesus status 
• Haemoglobin electrophoresis, to exclude carriers of thalasaemia or sickle cell disease 
• Screening for Cystic Fibrosis 
• Peripheral Blood Karyotype (test to assess the number and structure of the chromosomes)
• Semen Analysis & Sperm culture (within 12 months of treatment)  

Furthermore the following blood tests are mandatory for him and need to be done within 6 months of the treatment: 

• HIV  
• Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)  
• Hepatitis C (Anti-HCV) 
• Syphilis 

BE AWARE THAT FURTHER TESTING MAY BE ADVISED BASED ON YOUR HISTORY 

If apart from an egg donor you also require a sperm donor, this form of treatment is known as embryo donation.  

Whether requiring donor sperm due to significant male factor fertility problems, or as a woman with no male partner we will give you all the information you need to help you find a suitable donor and source the donor sperm. You need to take into consideration that according to Greek Law, sperm donation is strictly anonymous.  

We collaborate with the most reputable International and Greek sperm banks and we are confident that the highest standards are met regarding the safety and the selection of their donors.  

Once you have chosen a donor, the sperm will arrive to us within a week and your treatment can start. 

A counselling session for everyone using donor sperm is highly recommended. An open discussion about the implications of the treatment can give answers to your questions and help you deal with any concerns or fears you may have. You should always remember that the ultimate decision is yours.