Infertility, commonly known as sterility, has increasingly become one of the major issues of our era. The growing prevalence of this condition may be linked to poor nutrition, rising stress levels, psychological problems, irregular lifestyles, and a weakening genetic structure. Alongside these reasons, unexplained infertility—infertility with no apparent cause—can also be observed in couples. When faced with this problem, couples who wish to have children but cannot often experience significant psychological and social distress. Despite the progress societies have made, couples may still face social pressure for not being able to conceive, which further exacerbates their existing stress.
Today, there are various treatment methods that can help couples achieve parenthood. Depending on the cause of infertility, treatments such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), IVF, sperm donation, and egg donation have enabled many couples to have children. These methods are also applied in our center, helping couples become parents with high success rates. In addition to these treatments, embryo donation is another method we provide.
What Is Embryo Donation?
An embryo is the earliest form of life created when a sperm cell from the father fertilizes an egg cell from the mother.
Embryo donation involves fertilizing a donor egg with donor sperm in the laboratory and transferring the resulting healthy embryo into the uterus of the intended mother. Alternatively, embryo donation may be carried out via a surrogate.
Before resorting to this treatment, other fertility methods are often attempted depending on the reproductive health of the couple. If the woman and man have viable reproductive cells, treatments such as IUI or IVF may be tried first. In both cases, the couple’s own egg and sperm are required.
However, when pregnancy cannot be achieved despite these methods, options such as sperm donation, egg donation, or embryo donation may be considered.
Egg donation is performed when the woman cannot produce eggs. In this case, an egg from a donor is fertilized with the father’s sperm, and the embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus. This method is especially used in cases of premature menopause.
Sperm donation is performed when the man cannot produce sperm. In such cases, sperm from a sperm bank that matches the father’s characteristics is used to fertilize the mother’s eggs.
Embryo donation, however, is the method used when both partners are unable to produce viable reproductive cells. In this process, healthy donor sperm and donor eggs are fertilized in the laboratory to form embryos, which are then transferred into the intended mother’s uterus within 3–5 days. This method provides hope for couples who otherwise could never have children.
Who Can Benefit from Embryo Donation?
Embryo donation is offered to couples who require both eggs and sperm. It is also applied to individuals with genetic disorders preventing healthy reproduction, to those with poor-quality gametes, or to single women who wish to become mothers. Women of advanced age who no longer produce eggs may also achieve pregnancy through embryo donation.
It is important to note that under TRNC law, previously frozen and donated embryos from other couples cannot be used. At our clinic, only fresh embryos from selected donor eggs and sperm are used for donation.
How Is Embryo Donation Performed? What Are the Stages?
The process begins with preparing the recipient woman (the one who will carry the baby). The first step is conducting tests.
HSG (hysterosalpingography): This is performed to determine whether the uterus has structural problems such as polyps or fibroids, or adhesions from prior surgeries that may affect pregnancy. If such conditions exist, they are treated before transfer.
Standard tests: These include infectious disease screenings, thyroid function, biochemical and hematological tests.
Medical and psychological evaluation: The recipient’s health and family history are reviewed. If needed, further examinations are carried out to ensure the woman can safely carry a pregnancy.
Next, the donor preparation process begins. Donor selection is crucial and based on physical compatibility (blood type, skin tone, eye color, etc.) with the couple to avoid future social or psychological issues. Donors undergo:
Serological, hematological, and genetic testing
Psychological evaluation (screening for hereditary mental health issues like schizophrenia, personality disorders, paranoia, etc.)
IQ testing, if requested
Educational background screening (at our clinic, donors are at least high school graduates)
Donor Selection Criteria in Embryo Donation
The donor’s age is the most critical factor. At our clinic, we do not use donors over the age of 30. Younger donors increase success rates and lower the risk of hereditary disorders. Donors who already have healthy children are preferred, as this reduces the likelihood of genetic issues.
We also do not accept short donors; all donors are at least 165 cm tall.
Donor education level is another factor considered. Although education is not a direct measure of intelligence, graduating from selective schools can partially reflect cognitive ability.
