Donor Insemination, Egg and Embryo Donation

Abstract

Donor insemination (DI) has been practised using fresh sperm for many decades. Before intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), donor insemination was the only option for men with severe oligospermia. The technique of cryobanking was adapted from experience with bovine artificial insemination. The development of sperm freezing and cryobanking enabled the separation of donation and treatment and improved donor screening, selection and matching. With the emergence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome only cryostored, quarantined sperm from screened donors should be used. Screening for egg donors has a less logical basis. There is a steady move worldwide to “open donation” rather than “secretive”. Using in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, egg donation is equivalent to donor insemination in treating women with ovarian failure. Egg donation is widely accepted and practised worldwide. The use of embryo donation can be equated to “prenatal adoption”. The use of embryo donation is a very resource-effective way of helping couples form families, especially if there is both a sperm and an oocyte problem. Counselling should be an integral part of all donor programmes.