For many infertile women, in vitro treatment with donor eggs is the only chance for maternity. The procedure may be adopted if:

• Patient does not have or can not produce oocytes of her own – e.g. due to damaged or missing ovaries;
• Patient’s ovaries malfunction prematurely;
• Patient’s oocytes are of insufficient quality;
• Patient has been diagnosed with genetic issues;
• Patient has undergone multiple IVF programmes – without success;
• Patient is over 40 years old.

• IVF programmes with fresh donor eggs require the cycles of both the donor and recipient to be synchronized therefore the process requires planning and can be fairly rigid in order for synchronization to happen. As no invasive procedures are involved here – such programmes are often highly efficient (the success rate is about 50-70%).
• IVF programmes with frozen donor eggs allows more flexibility when it comes to planning. However, this type of programme has certain limitations as well. Freezing and thawing oocytes may lower their quality which in turn can slightly reduce the success rate of infertility treatments by 5 to 10%. Yet in most cases, infertility clinics have extensive experience and proper equipment and are capable of neutralizing this issue successfully.

At the EggDonationFriends IVF clinics listing pages you will find out which overseas infertility clinic performs which type(s) of programme, to what extent effectively, and at what cost.

Undergoing an IVF treatment with donor eggs abroad has many advantages. There are an increasing number of fertility clinics in in numerous countries offering egg donation programmes and professional medical care to a very high standard. International couples, who decide to take a ‘pregnancy trip’ due to various reasons, are usually offered:

• Easier access to certain services (e.g. no waiting lists, etc.);
• High quality infertility treatments at lower costs than in their home country;
• Fertility clinics’ experience in the field of egg donation programs;
• IVF centres’ and fertility specialists’ internationally acclaimed reputation;
• The attractive geographic location of fertility centres, so treatment can be combined with some time off in a holiday hot spot
• The success rate of infertility treatment is higher than in national centres.

Oocyte recipients should prepare themselves for IVF treatment with donor eggs by undergoing necessary medical examination and testing. If no contraindications occur the patient may begin an egg donor programme which is likely to consist of the following stages:

• Initial appointment with a fertility specialist;
• Donor selection (parent-recipients should be assisted by a physician or embryologist);
• Laboratory procedures (man deposits sperm to be used for donor’s eggs fertilization first – then embryos are cultured in the IVF lab);
• A patient and embryo transfer preparation (woman takes medicines which make her uterus ready for taking the embryos; the embryo transfer procedure may require a short stay in a fertility centre).

If you are not sure whether you need to undergo an egg donation program, please consult an infertility specialist.

Before you make a final decision concerning your treatment abroad, think which of the above factors matter for you the most and ask for details in more than one fertility clinic. What else is good to know?

• Legal regulations in the country of your choice – e.g. limitations on donating and receiving gametes, requirements to be met by donors, donorship anonymity regulations, procedures allowed within IVF programmes, limitation on the number of children born thanks to a single donor, etc.
• Plan your travel and stay – find out the costs of travel, transfers and accommodation, check out where to seek help while your stay in a country, how to find your way around town, what places to see, etc.
• Local healthcare conditions and standards – Please note that infertility treatment (including egg donation programmes) may lead to medical complications! As rare as they may be – it is highly advisable to know what aid you can count on in local hospitals. You may need to take specific medical documentation with you and/or purchase additional medical insurance prior to departure!
• The most trustworthy, prestigious and credible IVF clinics in a country – who are the best fertility clinics, who are the most reliable, who offers the most affordable treatments
• Find out what other patients (past or present) have to say: Simply ask the community!

Choosing a fertility centre to undergo infertility treatment is an important step! Before you take it, do consider a few things. Prior to selecting a clinic, please check:

• Fertility centre’s overall experience in egg donation programmes;
• Fertility specialists’ qualifications and experience as well as the technological equipment used by the clinic;
• Whether the IVF clinic has its own egg bank or uses an external supplier;
• How are egg donors evaluated/qualified (medical examination and verification);
• What sort of donors’ information is available to international patients;
• IVF clinic’s full offer, medical procedures availability and pricing options;
• Languages that are spoken by the clinic’s personnel;
• The success rates of egg donation programmes that are achieved by the fertility clinic.

When contacting an IVF clinic for the first time it is good to ask what the entire treatment process entails; how many visits will you have to make during your treatment and how long will each step last, what medical procedures are in use there and what assistance can you expect from the clinic (e.g. airport transfers, hotel booking, etc.).