Showing posts with label sperm donation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sperm donation. Show all posts

Friday, 2 January 2015

What is sperm donation?




Sperm donation is the use of a donor’s sperm to achieve pregnancy otherwise not possible due to male infertility. Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) are utilized to fertilize a womans’ eggs with the fertile donor sperm. The couple going through sperm donation seeks the procedure in an IVF clinic. The treatment procedure is similar to normal in vitro fertility treatment where the couple’s own eggs and sperm would be used. The only difference is that the donor’s sperm is used for the fertilization process. 

There are many reasons for male infertility. Usually a simple spermiogram (semen analysis) test can be performed to assess the fertility of the male partner. During the spermiogram test all the important parameters of male fertility are assessed including the sperm cell count, mobility and morphology. 

Why to proceed with Sperm Donation?

sperm donationFor couples going through the sperm donation procedure, the male partner would not be the biological father of the child. However, in most jurisdictions he becomes the legal father. The sperm donors are usually chosen to reflect the physical features of the male partner. However, if the couple has a specific physical feature or academic history preferences, these could normally be catered for. Sperm donors go through very strict selection criteria and only a very few percentage of candidate donors become actual sperm donors.

As part of the selection criteria for sperm donors, screening for genetic disease, chromosomal anomalies, and screening for sexually transmitted disease are performed. Sperm donors could be known or anonymous. However, due to the privacy considerations, anonymous donation is usually preferred. Most respected in vitro fertilization clinics use highly reputable sperm banks to source their sperm for sperm donation. Sperm banks ensure high standards in quality of sperm, greatly enhancing pregnancy success rates for the couple. 

Sperm donation is a great alternative for couples suffering from infertility due to the male partner and allows for pregnancy otherwise not possible. Despite sperm donation being available in most European countries, several countries have restrictive regulations, which in return motivates couples to travel abroad to countries with liberal sperm donation legislation. Sperm donation has become hugely popular for such couples and instead of going through the adoption route; couples with male infertility can now become parents.

Take the next step… dunyaivf.co.uk/sperm-donation

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Why Do UK Couples Seeking IVF Treatment Travel to North Cyprus?


Despite first IVF babies being born over 30 years ago, IVF treatments have only become mainstream in the last few years. Many UK couples seeking fertility treatment usually try the NHS but a considerable percentage is now looking to go abroad for the treatment. UK couples traditionally prefer Spain for fertility treatments but a significant number have started travelling to a less known destination for IVF treatments: North Cyprus.

The island of Cyprus long known to UK tourists as the ex-colonial sunny holiday destination is now becoming a hot spot for medical fertility tourism. But why do so many British couples travel to North Cyprus to undergo fertility treatment and join it with a holiday?
Yes, Cyprus does offer sandy beaches and year-round sunshine which already make it an attractive destination but people come to North Cyprus for things that are better than or not available in the UK fertility treatment system. The biggest reason is the regulations in the IVF industry. North Cyprus has more liberal IVF regulations compared to the rest of Europe making the industry thrive in this small island.
UK couples choose North Cyprus mainly for egg donation and gender selection procedures. For egg donation, North Cyprus offers a no-wait list, anonymous egg donation program with very reasonable treatment prices. It is a very difficult process for UK couples to go through egg donation in the UK due to the difficulty of finding an egg donor and hence the wait list associated with it. This further delay the couples wish to become parents, motivating them to travel abroad.
Couples willing to travel to North Cyprus can rapidly be matched with a donor and go through the treatment immediately after choosing to come to the island. Therefore instead of going through the long and frustrating process in the UK, the couple can literally achieve pregnancy within a few weeks after choosing the right clinic for them. Also, gender selection is not allowed anywhere in Europe except North Cyprus making the destination attractive for UK patients wishing to do family balancing.
Most UK couples wishing to undergo fertility treatment in North Cyprus spend the preparation phase, called the controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation in the UK, which lasts for 10-14 days. They then travel to North Cyprus and spend only 5-7 days there, which couples see as the perfect opportunity to join a holiday. The nature of IVF treatment is such that very few visits are required to the IVF clinic for a successful treatment procedure.
The highly specialized IVF clinics offer high pregnancy rates, but as with any medical treatment, the patients advised to do their homework before choosing the right clinic for them. With the right clinic, North Cyprus offers excellent value for money for couples seeking fertility treatment abroad.