What is the Donor Egg IVF Process for Australian Patients?
The donor egg IVF process is quite different when it comes to choosing fertility services in Australia versus at the Fertility Institute of Hawaii. The two differ in what is allowed, how donors are sourced, and how widely available donor services will be to you.
Before we jump into the process from start to finish, let’s take a look at the ways donor services differ in Australia versus Hawaii so you can gain a better understanding of how these separate processes will affect you.
Why is the Donor Egg IVF Process so Difficult in Australia?
The unfortunate reality is that most Australians who need donor eggs or donor sperm will not be able to receive them in their own country, which raises the question: why?
You have decided that donor egg IVF is the best course of action for your family so you begin to look for solutions in-country. However, you quickly discover that obtaining donor eggs is very difficult to do and you find yourself in the national queue. Or, maybe, you have already been on the waiting list for an extended period of time and you feel that time is running out.
Less than 4% off all annual global donor IVF cycles are performed each year in Australia. According to Denyse Asher, a reproductive biologist with Donor Eggs Australia, “the amount (of patients) looking for eggs far exceeds the number willing to give.”
The shortage of donor eggs in Australia has led to reports of illegal compensation for egg donors, which is unregulated and unsafe. For these reasons, the likelihood of being matched with an ideal donor in Australia is critically low and as a result, Australians are the leading users of donor sources and treatment outside of their own country.
Additionally, alternatives to traditional IVF become very expensive in Australia due to the prolonged waiting period. Many people spend a great length of time in the queue for traditional IVF services, only to later find themselves out of options as they sit on another waiting list for an egg donor.
If you’re on the waitlist now, then you’ve likely come to know this harsh reality. You’ve had enough of waiting for very limited choices that may not even be the right fit for your future family.
Perhaps you fall in an age group with a chance of IVF success that is very low. You know that your likelihood of success using donor eggs is much higher. If you’ve been on your journey for some time and have concluded that you won’t be able to use donor eggs in Australia, the next section of this page will help you to understand what options are available to you beyond the shoreline and what they entail.
How Donor Services Work in the United States
Now that you understand the difficulties that drive Australians like you to search for treatment outside of the country, it’s time to find out how different the treatment is in the United States.
Donors in the United States must go through intense screenings, interviews, and tests before they can even be considered as viable donors. These screenings cover medical background and history, mental health screenings, and thorough health tests to ensure they are not only healthy donors body-wise but mentally as well.
It may sound like this process would deter many women from donating, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is, donors in the United States are compensated for their donations once they’re approved as possible donors. This means a steady flow of young fertile healthy eggs from all races, backgrounds, and ethnicities. But most of all, this means no more waiting in the queue to build your perfect family.