Good on you! I think it's wonderful. There is a hell of a lot of paperwork to be done - each instance of donation has to be approved through ECART - an ethical review committee. I think from memory that there have been 13 approved and 1 declined. Your IVF "provider" should have more info as well.
Info from the Ministry of Health website ...
(1) The new guidelines are
here
(2) Old info about the process
Questions and Answers - Embryo Donation for Reproductive Purposes
What is embryo donation for reproductive purposes?
Embryo donation is the donation by a couple, who have surplus embryos, of one or more of those embryos to an infertile couple or individual.
During in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, it is normal to collect a number of eggs from the woman receiving treatment and for these to be fertilised with the sperm of her male partner, or in some cases, a sperm donor. It would be normal for 5-8 eggs to successfully fertilise. Generally one or two embryos would be transferred to the woman, with the remaining embryos being frozen if this is requested. If a pregnancy is not achieved following the IVF cycle, the frozen embryos are thawed and replaced, usually on a natural cycle.
The availability of frozen embryos means that there is another chance of having embryos replaced without having to undergo the stress and cost of IVF treatment. If a pregnancy is achieved, then the frozen embryos can be used to achieve a second or subsequent pregnancy. Once the desired family size is achieved, a decision has to be made regarding what should happen to any surplus embryos that remain.
What is in the Guidelines for Embryo Donation for Reproductive Purposes?
The guidelines require all applications for embryo donation to be submitted for approval on a case-by-case basis.
Only couples who have embryos created from their own gametes, intended for their own use, may donate surplus embryos to other people. Donor couples may not donate embryos until at least two years have elapsed since the decision that their families are complete. In addition, donor couples can only donate embryos to one family.
Recipients must have a medical condition that precludes normal reproduction or unexplained infertility that has not responded to other treatments. The guidelines require donor couples and recipients to undergo extensive counselling before they are able to proceed with embryo donation. Clinics providing the service are required to keep information on the donor couple, including names and current addresses, ethnicity and cultural affiliations, and any significant medical history of the donors. Informed decision-making is required for all participants in embryo donation and extensive informed consent processes are detailed in the guidelines.
Why have Guidelines for Embryo Donation been created?
Advances in reproductive technologies offer many potential benefits for infertile people. However, there are also uncertainties, risks, and unknowns.
The Guidelines for Embryo Donation for Reproductive Purposes seek to balance harms and benefits in ways that respect the wishes of individuals, demonstrate caution in relation to possible harms, and give due respect to society's evolving norms.
The guidelines respect the autonomy of all parties: persons seeking the assistance of others to form their families; those offering to assist; and any existing children involved in the arrangements. In this regard, choice and informed consent are essential.
Respect for privacy is also important. In particular, the guidelines seek to protect the interests of the child-to-be, including their need to grow up in a caring family and form a clear concept of self-identity that is underpinned with accurate information about origins.
What are the pros and cons of embryo donation for reproductive purposes?
The main benefits of embryo donation for reproductive purposes are that it gives:
people with surplus embryos an option other than storage or destruction
infertile people another possible way of having a child.
The main issue with embryo donation for reproductive purposes is that it involves the separation of children from their genetic parents and siblings. As in adoption, the child is raised by ‘social parents’, rather than its genetic parents. There are associated issues, including:
access to genetic information by offspring born as a result of embryo donation
informed consent for all parties involved.
The Guidelines for Embryo Donation for Reproductive Purposes mediate any potential harms as much as possible.
Where do people go for embryo donation?
Fertility clinics carry out the majority of assisted human reproductive procedures in New Zealand, and some clinics have indicated their interest in offering the service. However, NECAHR recommends any couple experiencing fertility problems talk to their general practitioner first.
What is the status of the embryo donation guidelines under the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Act 2004?
Under the HART Act, the Minister of Health can approve interim guidelines for use by the Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ECART).
When developing the guidelines NECAHR took into account the possibility that the guidelines would need to be able to be used by ECART after it had been established. The Minister has approved the embryo donation guidelines for use by ECART.
embryo donation
Topic Options
Post Options
Thanks(0)
chickpea wrote:
