Can donated embryos come from donor egg or sperm cycles?

Hey! Thanks for letting me in… I am from San Diego, CA and I am considering starting an IVF cycle with donated embryos because I’ve already done 3 IVF cycles using my own gametes with no luck so far. I’ve read that embryo banks can offer both unused embryos from unknown couples and also embryos that were created from donor eggs and sperm. In case this was true, I’d go for the latter option, because I guess if they were created from donor egg or sperm cycles, they should be of higher quality, am I right? That’s why I’d appreciate an answer as soon as possible, because I want to get started next month or in a couple of months at the latest. What do you think? Any info will be very much appreciated.

Hello mydearbaby22,

If you resort to an embryo bank, you will find both unused embryos from couples that have previously undergone IVF cycles or from single women that have done a fertility treatment using their own gametes. But, as you said, you can also find embryos that were created after an IVF cycle using donor eggs or sperm, or both.

It should be clear that not many couples decide to donate their embryos, provided that it is something difficult to accept by the majority of them; all in all, they are donated their genes to another person, and not everyone agrees with this. The rate of couples who donate their embryos after a donor egg or sperm cycle is higher, since donating the embryos is easier if they don’t carry your own genes.

Be it as it may, most women or couples who donate the embryos they got from their own gametes have achieved pregnancy; therefore, these embryos are totally viable. Besides, to be allowed to donate, they have to meet the same requirements as every donor: age limit, genetic screening, blood tests, etc.

If you finally decide to use donated embryos that come from donor egg or sperm cycles, you can be sure these embryos meet all the requirements to implant and thus allow you to get pregnant.

Best wishes