Creating a family with donor sperm, eggs or embryos is not something that many people imagine they’ll do.
Often, the decision comes following a long road of pregnancy losses, miscarriage, and rounds of IVF cycles.
But Fertility SA specialist Dr Sally Reid believes that it’s a fascinating, and incredibly rewarding area to work in, with very high success rates.
In this Fertility SA podcast series she explains what’s possible, what’s involved and the legal aspects of having a family with donor sperm, eggs or embryos.
“As fertility specialists, it’s our job to really explain all the legal and psychological and long-term implications of donor conception,” she explains.
“There’s many things to think about – the overwhelming thing is the child’s right to their information about their genetic heritage. And partly that’s to do with their sense of self, but also to do with, for example, their risk of bowel cancer or heart disease.
“For the recipient, it’s our job to protect them from genetic conditions and infectious illnesses, and that’s something we screen all the donors for.
“For the donors, we need to protect their rights as well, and it’s very important for them, of course, to be aware that there have been children born from their donation, and their information is kept confidential, and there’s also a limit on family size.”
For individuals and couples thinking about creating a family with donor sperm, eggs or embryos, Dr Reid believes it is important to seek out information, and take your time making an informed decision.
“We’re lucky enough to have two counsellors at Fertility SA, and they are a fantastic source of information about the donor, the recipient and the child’s rights and responsibilities – and are also just lovely people to bounce ideas off and go through all of the options.
“It is a really emotionally complex decision, but it’s one that generally has very high success rates, it’s very rewarding, and often very successful.”
Listen to the full podcast.
