Who is the mother?

Interview with embryologist Mgr. Ingrid Zabloudilova

Sperm donation is a long-established and fairly simple method of artificial insemination. Female egg donation is a newer, less used, more complex - and also more controversial - method. It is not allowed in some countries, but European law allows it. It also gives women with non-functioning ovaries the opportunity to conceive a child. We talk about it with embryologist Mgr. Ingrid Zabloudilova from Repromedica Reproductive Medicine Clinic.

In what cases is egg donation an option?

In women who have missing or prematurely failing ovaries, or if the ovaries do not respond to hormonal stimulation, in women who have undergone cancer treatment, but also, for example, in cases where there is a risk of a genetically transmitted disease. Last but not least, there is also an increased reproductive age. In these women, the ovaries do not function sufficiently or at all, but they are able to carry a child in the womb.

However, women who are willing to donate eggs are apparently not as numerous as young men who quite simply donate sperm.

Will every woman for whom this would be an option receive a donated egg?

You are right, it is often a problem in reproductive medicine clinics, there are waiting lists and recipients sometimes wait over a year to find a suitable donor. In our clinic, we did the opposite - we first created a database of screened donors. If needed, they are ready to come in and undergo the donation process, so the recipient does not have to wait, but is immediately enrolled in treatment.

However, it was apparently not enough to log in to the database.

What did the hopeful donor have to go through?

Various examinations - from basic gynaecological examinations through examinations for sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, chlamydia) to genetic examinations, including karyotype and cystic fibrosis.

Can women who have not yet given birth be donors?

It is an advantage if the woman has already given birth, but it is not a condition. The age limit in our clinic is between eighteen and thirty-three years.

Does egg donation also take into account that the donor is compatible with the recipient?

Both the blood group and the Rh factor must match; in addition, both the donor and the recipient fill out questionnaires that include appearance, skin colour, hair colour, and eye colour. Ideally, the donor should give as much information about herself as possible in the questionnaire. In the same way, the recipient can also make requests, for example, about hobbies, character, education. At our clinic we require a minimum of high school education. Thanks to the comprehensive donor database that we have created at our clinic, we can ensure that the recipient matches the required traits, as well as personality traits and interests with the donor almost 100% of the time. Most donors are college students and graduates, or women on maternity leave.

These are women who obviously need the money. Is donation paid?

By law, donation is voluntary and free of charge. However, we can compensate the costs associated with donation up to a maximum of €1000.

Are potential donors also informed about the possible risks of the procedure?

Of course, in consultation with the doctor, they will receive a lesson. The likelihood of complications is low. The most common complication is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. This is a violent reaction of the ovaries to their previous hormonal stimulation, when a large number of follicles mature, and is accompanied by symptoms such as mild pain in the lower abdomen and a feeling of bloating.

How does the egg donation process work?

When the donor is approached, she will undergo ten days of ovarian stimulation to produce more eggs. The instructed donor injects herself at home and comes to us three or four times for a check-up, during which the growth of the eggs is monitored. On the day of retrieval, she comes to the clinic fasting and under short-term general anaesthesia, her eggs are retrieved and their quality and number are immediately checked in the laboratory. She can leave two to three hours later. The eggs are then fertilised extracorporeally with the sperm of the recipient's partner. On the third to fifth day after fertilisation, one to two embryos are inserted into the uterus of the recipient. The other embryos are frozen in case they are used in the next cycle if the first embryos inserted do not take. However, they can also be stored for two to three years (for a fee) and used if the parents decide to have another child.

What do you think motivates women to come forward and offer eggs for donation?

Most of the time, they report that it is an effort to help others. The financial compensation for the costs associated with donating is not much compared to what they have to go through.

The motive to help would be quite understandable if the woman was helping her sister or friend. Does the law allow this?

Donations must by law be anonymous to both parties and we strictly adhere to this in our clinic. Even if women are interested in such an option, we will not accommodate them in any way. A sister or friend may become a donor in solidarity, but she will be included in the donor database and her egg will be given to an anonymous recipient.

Prepared by : Ľudmila Grodovská (Slovenka Magazine)