Introduction to Our Egg Donation
Egg donation was started in 1984 as an alternative to using a woman’s own eggs. The 2007 CDC Assisted Reproductive Technology Success Rates national data shows that percentage of transfers that result in live birth using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is much higher using embryos from donor eggs than from a woman’s own eggs as women age. For women at age 39, the live birth rate using donor eggs is twice the rate of non-donor eggs. In fact, women have live birth rates of over 50% into their late 40s. Out of respect for a couple’s privacy, egg donation has not received the attention it deserves as the most effective way to overcome age related infertility. Over the last ten years, FSMG and our egg donors have helped hundreds of couples achieve their dreams.
Egg donation has removed the age barrier with respect to a woman carrying a pregnancy. Although some women have had children in their sixties, the health burden of carrying a pregnancy as well as practical concerns related to the raising of the child has led to a recommendation of limiting the age of the recipient to her early fifties.
Medical Indications for Using Donated Eggs
There are a number of indications for egg donation, including:
- Ovarian aging
- Premature ovarian insufficiency
- Women who carry genetic abnormalities or genetically transmitted disease
- Menopause (natural and surgically induced)
Success Rates
The use of IVF with donor eggs overcomes most of the natural barriers to conception and live birth—barriers such as problems with ovulation, fertilization, and the increase in chromosomal abnormalities with age the leads to decreased rate of implantation and increased rate of miscarriage. See our website Fertility In Your 30s for more information. As illustrated below, live birth rate exceeds 50% over the entire age range and greatly exceeds live birth rates using IVF alone.
