Donor material - Brussels IVF

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Donor material

The use of donor material

If treatment with your own sperm or oocytes is not an option due to medical or personal reasons, you can use donor sperm or donor oocytes.

Donor sperm:
Donor sperm is a solution for heterosexual couples who have been diagnosed with reduced sperm cell viability. Donor sperm is also used by lesbian couples or single women wishing to conceive.

Donor oocytes:
Some women do not produce oocytes, for example due to a hormonal or hereditary disorder. Or the quality of their oocytes is insufficient, for example due to early menopause or advanced age.
These women can still get pregnant with donor oocytes. Donor oocytes can also prevent the transmission of some hereditary disorders.
Gay couples can also use donor oocytes to have children with a surrogate.

Good to know

Brussels IVF has its own tissue bank

Brussels IVF has the necessary quality labels and permits to have its own oocyte and sperm bank. We rely on a network of oocyte and sperm donors for this. We also work with several sperm banks across Europe to reduce waiting times for parents who rely on donor sperm to conceive.

For whom?

Donor sperm:

As a man, your sperm count is low or even zero, which affects the success rate of ART treatment.
You have a hereditary disorder and pre-implantation genetic screening is not an option, so your own sperm cannot be used in ART treatment.
You are a single woman and want to have children.
You are in a lesbian relationship and you want to have a child together.

Donor oocytes:

As a woman, you do not produce good quality oocytes or not enough oocytes for age-related or medical reasons.
You have a hereditary disorder and pre-implantation genetic screening is not an option, so your own oocytes cannot be used in ART treatment.
You are in a homosexual relationship and you want to have a child together through surrogacy.

Did you know?

Limited matching with the available donors is done in the lab based on your phenotype mapping. We strive for similarity in the external characteristics of the donor and prospective parent(s). The extent to which matching (eye colour, height, hair colour...) is possible is entirely subjec to availability. Blood group and rhesus factor play an important role in our selection.

If you would like to use the same anonymous donor for a subsequent child, this is only possible if they are still available and/or willing to donate. This means we can never give you any guarantees about this.

Sperm samples from donors are always frozen so we can do the necessary blood tests to check whether the donor is free of serious hereditary and/or infectious diseases.

Donor oocytes are donated fresh and are fertilised with sperm cells immediately after donation. The embryos obtained are then frozen so we can check that the donor is free of serious hereditary and/or infectious diseases before you start your treatment.

Anonymous donor sperm

Brussels IVF has its own sperm bank and relies on network of anonymous donors. Because of the scarcity, we also work with several sperm banks across Europe. Currently, Belgian legislation on Medically Assisted Reproduction provides that the donor and acceptor remain anonymous and unknown to each other. The staff of our sperm bank staff only uses coded data.

In other countries, laws on anonymity may be different. In some countries, the child can request certain details of his/her sperm donor from a foreign sperm bank by means of a DNA test from the age of 18. However, this donor is completely anonymous, both for our centre and for the prospective parents, in accordance with Belgian legislation. Purchasing donor sperm from a foreign anonymous donor (DNA) is significantly more expensive than a conventional anonymous donor because of the increased follow-up by the foreign bank and the higher purchase price for our centre.

Prospective parents decide which type of anonymous donor they want to use for their treatment. This is set out in advance in an agreement.

Anonymous donor oocytes

Brussels IVF has its own sperm bank and relies on network of anonymous donors. This means that doctors at Brussels IVF take care of all the screening procedures and all preliminary examinations take place at our centre. When a donor is approved, she donates her oocytes completely anonymously. Prospective parents are not informed from which donor they got oocytes. The donor is not informed about which prospective parents received her oocytes and/or whether treatment was successful.

Oocyte donation is done at our centre. The oocytes are fresh. This means that the donor’s oocytes are fertilised immediately on the day of oocyte retrieval (either with own material or with donor sperm). The embryos from this treatment are frozen. We prefer this method because oocytes are more sensitive than embryos when it comes to cryopreservation. By only freezing embryos, we increase the success rate of the treatment.

Known donor

Known donation is also an option under the current legislation. Prospective parents can suggest their own candidate donor. Donation for commercial reasons is strictly forbidden in Belgium.
Prospective parents pay for the tests and donations that the donor performs as part of your treatment to conceive.

A known donor must meet the same legal requirements as an anonymous donor, meaning they undergo the same (medical) screening.

Both the prospective parents and the known donor receive counselling from a psychologist at our centre before starting treatment. We do this to support you with the psychological, financial and practical aspects and help you make an informed choice about your future and that of the future child.

Want to learn more about becoming a donor?

Want to become an oocyte donor yourself or do you know someone who wants to donate her oocytes? Go to www.idonatehappiness.be

For more information on sperm donation, please visit www.spermadonor.be

Info on oocyte donation

Info on sperm donation

Five common questions about donor material answered:

What are the criteria for sperm donors?

In Belgium, the donor must be between 18 and 45 years old. Before he can donate, his health is checked with a medical history and blood tests. Any prospective donors at our centre must first complete a comprehensive questionnaire on their family and medical history. In line with legal requirements, we check that the donor does not suffer from any serious hereditary and/or infectious diseases. If the prospective mother is a carrier of a known genetic disorder (e.g., cystic fibrosis), the donor may be asked to agree to additional genetic testing to ensure the donor sperm is compatible. Before each donation, the donor is tested again for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, and chlamydia. In Belgium, donation is always voluntary for altruistic reasons and not for commercial reasons. Donation is free of charge for the donor. The donor only receives an expense allowance.

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What are the criteria for oocyte donors?

Oocyte donors can donate until the day before their 36th birthday. This limit may only be waived in the case of known oocyte donation. Prospective donors undergo a thorough medical screening, based on a comprehensive questionnaire on their family and medical history. They undergo a medical screening for infectious diseases (hepatitis B & C (jaundice), HIV and syphilis) using blood tests. Standard genetic tests are also performed to rule out any serious hereditary disorders. The donated oocytes also always undergo medical screening. We use the NAT test to check for the presence of viruses and can detect HIV (among others). Embryos obtained after donation are frozen in anticipation of the results of the medical screening before commencing treatment with the prospective parents. In Belgium, donation is always voluntary for altruistic reasons and not for commercial reasons. Donation is free of charge for the donor. The oocyte donor only receives an expense allowance.

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What is the waiting time for treatment with donor material?

The waiting time for treatment with donor material is always influenced by supply and demand, and because of the matching we perform based on your phenotype mapping (blood group, rhesus factor...). You must count on a waiting period of up to 3 months from the order for donor sperm. Treatment with donor sperm can only start when you receive written confirmation that the donor material is available at our centre. The average waiting period for donor oocytes is 6 months after ordering and signing the necessary contracts.The waiting time for treatment with donor material is always influenced by supply and demand, and because of the matching we perform based on your phenotype mapping (blood group, rhesus factor...). You must count on a waiting period of up to 3 months from the order for donor sperm. Treatment with donor sperm can only start when you receive written confirmation that the donor material is available at our centre. The average waiting period for donor oocytes is 6 months after ordering and signing the necessary contracts.

Which support does Brussels IVF provide for known donation?

If you, the prospective parent, propose a donor yourself, he or she will have to meet the same screening criteria as an anonymous donor. However, you will have to attend a consultation with a psychologist at our centre before you can start treatment. During this consultation, we ask you about your motives, among others, to ascertain that all parties are acting voluntarily. We also discuss the different choices and their impact with you, both for your treatment and for the future child. Opting for known donation adds a new dimension to an existing good relationship between the prospective parent/acceptor and donor. It is important that you are all on the same wavelength for example when it comes to openness to the child about his or her origins. Complications during pregnancy or if the child is found to have a genetic or other disorder may also cloud the relationship between the acceptor and the donor. You must attend a consultation with a psychologist before getting the go-ahead for treatment, during which you adequately reflect on these issues and make arrangements that allow all parties involved to make an informed decision.

What are the costs related to the use of donor material?

The use of donor material is never reimbursed (not even if you fall under the criteria for reimbursement). Use of any anonymous donor material is always at your own expense. You sign an agreement in advance for the purchase and acceptance of the donor sperm or oocytes. In the case of a known donor, the prospective parents pay for the tests and treatment needed to obtain the sperm or oocytes themselves. In Belgium, patients receive (partial) reimbursement for six cycles of their ART, however, if: > you are affiliated with a Belgian mutual health insurance fund > you are under 43 years of age In that case, you are entitled to the reimbursement of six cycles of artificial insemination (IUI) and six cycles of IVF/ICSI. As a patient with Belgian mutual health insurance who is entitled to reimbursement by RIZIV/INAMI, you still pay for part of your ART yourself (approx. €150 per insemination and €600 per round of in-vitro treatment). This includes copayments for consultations, examinations, and procedures. Without entitlement to this reimbursement, patients pay full price for their treatment: follow-up, consultations, admission, laboratory fees (€1,500 (per cycle) on average) and medication (€1,200 on average). The exact amount depends on your individual treatment.

An anonymous donor?

Anonymous donor sperm costs approximately €500 to €800 per straw. You need one straw for one (cycle of) artificial insemination or one IVF/ICSI treatment. Acceptance of anonymous donor oocytes cost approximately €3,600.

Medical

Is treatment with donor material the solution for my desire to have children?

Depending on your situation, you know very early on if donor material will be required. For other prospective parents, donor material is an option they did not consider beforehand. We feel it is important to thoroughly inform you about all options and choices at hand.

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