Who Needs Egg Donation IVF?
Egg donation IVF uses eggs from a young anonymous donor, fertilised with the recipient’s partner’s sperm (or donor sperm), and transferred into the recipient’s prepared uterus. The resulting child is genetically related to the recipient’s partner (or donor), not to the recipient.
Indications for egg donation IVF:
Ovarian factor (poor egg quality/supply):
- Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) / premature ovarian failure (POF): menopause before age 40; FSH >25 IU/L; AMH <0.5 pmol/L
- Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR): AMH <5 pmol/L, AFC <5, poor response to previous IVF stimulation (fewer than 3 oocytes retrieved)
- Advanced maternal age: natural decline in oocyte quality; women ?44 years have very low euploid embryo rates from own eggs
- Recurrent IVF failure: ?3 failed own-egg IVF cycles with good embryo quality - may indicate oocyte quality issue
- Repeated high-grade embryo arrest: >80% embryos failing to develop to blastocyst stage
Genetic indications:
- Known autosomal dominant conditions where the woman wishes to avoid transmission
- Sex-linked disorders
Surgical:
- Bilateral oophorectomy (no ovaries)
When to consider own egg vs. donor egg: If AMH is between 5-15 pmol/L: own egg IVF with PGT-A is often the first reasonable attempt under age 40. Below AMH 5 pmol/L with at least one failed own-egg stimulation: donor egg discussion is appropriate. A fertility specialist will guide this decision honestly based on all parameters.
Low-AMH women - a note: Very low AMH does not mean zero chance with own eggs - small published series show sporadic pregnancy with AMH <2 pmol/L. However, realistic counselling must balance the low chance of success with multiple own-egg cycles against the significantly higher success rates of donor egg IVF.
The Egg Donation Process in Turkey
1. Donor recruitment and screening: Turkish fertility clinics maintain anonymous donor pools. Donors are:
- Age 18-32; parous (proven fertility) or nulliparous young donors
- Psychological screening (fertility clinic psychologist)
- Medical: full pelvic ultrasound, AFC, AMH, FSH
- Infectious disease: HIV, HBV, HCV, HTLV, CMV, Rubella, syphilis
- Chromosomal karyotype (minimum); NGS carrier screening available (300+ recessive conditions)
- Blood group and Rh factor
- Physical characteristics database: height, eye colour, hair colour, ethnicity, skin tone
2. Donor matching: Recipients complete a physical characteristics form. Matching based on blood group, physical appearance, and ethnic background. The recipient does not know the donor identity (and vice versa) - anonymous donation in accordance with Turkish law.
3. Synchronisation protocol:
- Synchronised fresh cycle: Donor undergoes ovarian stimulation; recipient simultaneously prepares endometrium with oestrogen +/- GnRH agonist; donor egg collection and recipient transfer within same 5-day window - recipient stays in Turkey for egg collection day + 5 days for transfer
- Thawed donor egg cycle (vitrified from egg bank): Donor eggs already vitrified and stored in the clinic’s egg bank; no need to synchronise; recipient prepares endometrium at a convenient time and travels only for the transfer day (shorter stay)
4. Endometrial preparation:
- Oestrogen (oral/transdermal/patches) for 10-14 days to reach endometrial thickness ?8 mm with trilaminar pattern on ultrasound
- After confirmed readiness: progesterone commenced; transfer scheduled 5 days later (blastocyst Day 5)
- No stimulation injections required for the recipient - just monitoring
5. Embryo transfer:
- Ultrasound-guided transfer of the highest quality blastocyst under mild sedation
- 15-minute procedure; discharge same day
- Progesterone continued until 10-12 weeks if positive
- Beta-hCG at Day 10-12; scan at 6-7 weeks
Success Rates and Costs
Success rates per embryo transfer (donor egg):
| Transfer Type | Clinical Pregnancy Rate |
|---|---|
| Blastocyst single embryo transfer (SET) | 60-70% |
| With PGT-A of donor embryos | 65-75% |
| Vitrified donor egg cycle | 55-65% |
Because donor eggs come from young, screened women (typically age 20-28), embryo aneuploid rates are low irrespective of the recipient’s age. This makes donor egg IVF the most effective fertility treatment for women with poor egg quality.
Legal framework in Turkey:
- Anonymous egg donation is permitted under Turkish law
- Donations are strictly regulated with full donor screening documentation maintained
- Recipients receive complete anonymous donor health and genetic screening records (without identifying information)
- Two-parent families (heterosexual couples): eligible
- Single women and same-sex female couples: regulations vary - discuss with BB Global Health coordinator for current legal requirements
Cost breakdown - Turkey vs. UK:
| Component | Turkey Cost | UK Private Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh donor egg IVF cycle | -5,500-9,000 | -12,000-20,000 |
| Frozen donor egg cycle | -4,000-7,000 | -8,000-15,000 |
| With PGT-A | +-2,000-3,500 | +-3,000-6,000 |
| Medications (recipient) | -300-600 | -800-1,500 |
Package typically includes: donor co-ordination, donor screening, oocyte fertilisation, blastocyst culture, embryo transfer, luteal phase support, BB Global Health coordination, and full English documentation.
What to bring vs what is arranged in Turkey:
- Recipient: passport, medical history, recent FSH/E2 (or confirmation of POI), partner/donor sperm (or arrange locally)
- Arranged by clinic: donor, synchronisation, medications, monitoring, transfer
- BB Global Health: hotel, airport transfers, interpreter, home doctor handover letter