Embryo donation

In Australia, frozen embryos have been thawed and used to successfully achieve pregnancy for more than two decades. For some couples and individuals, donor embryos may give them a better chance of having a family than using donor sperm or eggs.

At IVF Australia we can help people who need donated embryos to fulfil their dream of having a baby. Our extensive experience in providing fertility treatment using donated eggs, sperm and embryos prompted us to establish a safe environment for potential embryo donors and recipients to meet and in essence speed up the matching process to enable treatment to begin more quickly.

Embryo Donors is an online community of people who are actively considering embryo donation. It has been designed to help facilitate connections between potential recipients and donors in a secure, private environment.

Everyone who is considering donating will undergo a process of medical assessments, infectious and genetic screening and compulsory counselling to explore the emotional and legal implications of embryo donation.

Embryo donation is an altruistic gift which means you cannot be paid but the recipient should meet all expenses incurred in making the donation.

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Who can be an embryo donor?

People who have completed their families via IVF treatment and have additional embryos in storage will often consider embryo donation as one of the options available to them.

They consider embryo donation for a number of reasons, including:

  • A belief that it is ethically preferable to donate rather than to dispose of embryos
  • A feeling of compassion for other couples struggling with fertility

Embryo donation can occur between a donor and recipient known to each other, or facilitated through IVFAustralia’s Embryo Donors website to recipients who do not personally know the donor.

The medical process of donation is relatively simple, though the emotional process can be quite difficult. The most important aspect of embryo donation is adequate counselling and the consideration of all of the surrounding issues for the donor and their family. For example, the potential consequences of the child wishing to contact the donor once they turn 18 years of age.

How do I donate my remaining embryos?

To access our Embryo Donors website as either a donor or recipient you must be registered with IVF Australia’s donor program.

You can register to become a member of this community and you will need to have completed an initial consultation with an IVFAustralia specialist and completed counselling before being granted access to match with a donor / recipient.

People who have undergone fertility treatment at another clinic can also access this service to donate their embryos.

We provide recipients with the opportunity to join the Embryo Donor community and upload a personal profile to ask for help creating their family. Donors can browse recipient profiles and make an offer directly to a couple or individual through the private messaging function or make a silent offer through our donor team. All information exchanged is non-identifying unless the individuals choose otherwise.

Once the recipient accepts an offer of a donation of embryos and all parties have agreed to proceed you can contact our donor team to begin the embryo donation process.

Following your medical screening and counselling, the donating couple will have a one month period to thoroughly consider their plans to donate and ensure they are completely comfortable with their decision. Once this process is complete, your embryos are ready for allocation and use by the matched recipient.

Can an embryo donation help me?

If other fertility treatments have been unsuccessful (or are extremely unlikely to be successful), one of our fertility specialists or counsellors may suggest embryo donation as an option for you.

You must have completed your own treatment, including the use of any frozen embryos you have in storage, and be under the age of natural menopause (51 years).

Following an appointment with your Fertility Specialist to determine if this treatment will be helpful to you, you will have an initial counselling session with one of fertility counsellors. The counsellors will help you to consider the social, legal and emotional implications of being a recipient of donor embryos. We also ask you to sign a consent form and will organise screening blood tests.

Embryo donors can either choose to make their embryos available to any recipient at the discretion of IVFAustralia or they can use IVFAustralia's Embryo Donor website to find a recipient of their choice.

We provide recipients with the opportunity to join the Embryo Donor community and upload a personal profile to ask for help creating their family. Donors can browse recipient profiles and make an offer directly to a couple or individual through the private messaging function or make a silent offer through our donor team. All information exchanged is non-identifying unless the individuals choose otherwise.

NSW embryo donation laws

IVFAustralia has extensive experience in helping create families through our donor program and we regard the interests of your future child as paramount.

It is up to the parents of the child to explain, when they feel it’s appropriate, the way in which the child was conceived. Our experience shows that the more openly available this information is, the more successful the outcome for everyone.

IVFAustralia adheres closely to the national Australian Health Ethics Committee guidelines when providing any fertility treatment. In Australia, it is illegal to buy or sell any human tissue, including sperm, eggs and embryos.

Under current NSW law, a child born from a donated embryo is deemed to be the child of the birth mother. Donors are under no legal or financial obligation to the child.

In 2010 the NSW Health Department established a Central Register for donors and donor-conceived offspring. The NSW Health Central Register contains information about donors and children born as a result of ART treatment using donated gametes and surrogacy.

Once a child conceived using a donated embryo turns 18, they will be able to access certain information on the Register if they wish.

IVFAustralia does not offer a donor service for those beyond the natural age of menopause (51 years of age) or to someone whose health could be compromised by a pregnancy.

Embryo Donation guide

Embryo Donation Brochure

View our informative brochure to learn more about embryo donation at IVFAustralia.

Want more information?

If you would like to find out more information about our donor program or for access to our embryo donation website please contact our donor team on 1800 111 483 or fill out the form below.

Register for Embryo Donors by IVF Australia...

View our Embryo Donation Guide...