Michelle, biochemist at inviTRA, tells us what the ROPA method consists of:
Co-IVF or reciprocal IVF is an in vitro fertilization treatment aimed at same-sex female couples. In this treatment, one of the women is chosen to be the genetic mother and will provide the genetic load of the baby in the form of her egg cells. Ovarian stimulation will be performed, the eggs will then be retrieved and then fertilized with donor sperm in the laboratory. The embryos will be cultered for a few days and then they will be transferred to the uterus of the other woman in the relationship, who will then carry the pregnancy and hopefully have the future healthy baby. In this way, it allows both the women to actively participate in the process of becoming a mother, even though their individual journeys are quite different. The genetic mother will have to undergo ovarian stimulation and the retrieval process and the pregnant woman will have to undergo the preparation of her endometrium, the embryo transfer and carry the baby.
