Donor Program

IS DONOR SPERM AVAILABLE AT PIVET?

Please contact the Donor Coordinator to discuss your treatment requirements.

There is a waiting list to access donor sperm (unknown).

INFORMATION FOR RECIPIENTS

All recipients wishing to participate in the donor program are required to undergo a full medical examination, including ultrasound and screening blood tests. Donor recipients are required to participate in a counselling session with the Clinical Psychologist. Donor recipients are encouraged to consult with PIVET’s Clinical Geneticist.

Unknown Donor Sperm

The waiting list for unknown donor sperm is open to heterosexual couples (married or defacto), single women and same sex couples. To be included on the waiting list, potential recipients must be PIVET patients and have completed the counselling requirement. When an offer of donor sperm is made, that sperm has cleared the quarantine requirement and is ready to utilise in a treatment cycle. A non-identifying profile will be offered to recipients to assist them to choose an appropriate donor.

Known Donor Sperm

When recipients attend the clinic with a “known” donor, a counselling session with all parties (donor/partner & recipient/partner) commences a 3-month “cooling off” period. Part of the quarantine period can be served concurrently with this cooling off time.

Unknown Donor Oocytes (Eggs)

There is an extensive waiting list for donor oocytes and potential recipients must be PIVET patients and have completed counselling to have their name added to the list. When an offer of donor oocytes is made to a recipient, these oocytes have completed the quarantine requirement and are ready to be fertilised to create embryos. A non-identifying profile will be offered to the recipient to allow them to choose an appropriate donor.

Known Donor Oocytes (Eggs)

The ability to attend the clinic with your own “known” donor avoids long delays on the waiting list. All parties involved in a known donation situation must attend counselling which will commence a “cooling off” period allows donors to reconsider their commitment to donation. A follow up session 90 days later concludes this period. The embryos created after the harvesting of the eggs and the subsequent fertilisation, are required to be quarantined for 90 days. At the completion of this quarantine period, a frozen embryo transfer treatment cycle will commence.

Donor Embryos

At the completion of their own families, fertility patients with excess embryos will quite often donate them to the clinic. There is a waiting list for potential embryo recipients and every effort is made to match donor characteristics with recipient requirements. When embryos are offered to recipients, these embryos have met quarantine and screening requirements and are ready to be utilised in an appropriate treatment cycle. A Donor Coordinator is available at the clinic to answer further questions you may have regarding the above information.

SPERM AND EGG DONORS NEEDED

PIVET Medical Centre runs a Donor Program that utilises donor sperm, oocyte (eggs) and embryos. As PIVET is a private facility, prospective users of these programs should be aware that a referral (preferably from their GP) is required to attend the clinic. Any reasonable verifiable out of pocket expenses incurred with obtaining this referral will be reimbursed by PIVET.

INFORMATION FOR DONORS

Potential donors are always in high demand as the waiting lists for all programs are extensive.  All donors are required to undergo a full medical examination, including ultrasound examination, are screened for infectious agents and common genetic disorders (blood tests) and must consult with a Clinical Geneticist. Donors are also required to participate in a counselling session with the Clinical Psychologist. All pre-requisites are attended at PIVET Medical Centre and whilst it is illegal to pay for donated human tissue/sperm, reasonable out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.

Donors must also agree to identifying information being made available to any child born as a result of the donation, when that child reaches the age of 16 years.

All donated sperm, oocytes and embryos are required to be quarantined for 90 days prior to being offered/utilised by recipients. This quarantine period ensures that none of the infectious agents that are tested for can be passed on to the recipient. Donors are either “known” i.e. the donor and the recipients are known to each other or “unknown” where the recipient receives a non-identifying profile of the donor. Ideally, the age for sperm donors is 18-50 years and for oocyte donors, under 35 years with their own family completed (desirable not essential).

CONTACT REGISTER AND SUPPORT FOR WA DONOR RELATED PEOPLE

We encourage you to use the services of JIGSAW DNA CONNECT, which are free and confidential, and available to all parties involved in donor conception.
Phone (08) 9228 2647
Email jigsawdna@jigsaw.org.au
www.jigsawdna.org.au

Read the Donor Section in FAQ’s or for more information regarding this program please contact the clinic.