August 26: Fertility Health Checks Learn More

Donor Program (Recipients)

Many people require access to donated sperm, eggs (gametes), and embryos so that they can create or expand their family.  Fertility Solution’s donor program facilitates the treatment with known or clinic-recruited donors.  We also work with creditable international agencies to access donor sperm.   Due to a high demand for clinic recruited donor sperm, eggs and embryos, Fertility Solutions Sunshine Coast and Bundaberg have a policy to provide treatment firstly for local patients and then patients outside of the Wide Bay-Burnett and Sunshine Coast regions.

Using donor embryos or gametes can have serious long-term implications for the recipient(s), donor and any offspring created from the donation. Fertility Solutions works closely with all parties involved to minimise the risk of this happening in the future.   

All donors are required to undergo a comprehensive medical assessment along with screening tests and extensive counseling.   Recipients also participate in a comprehensive preparation process including counselling.  We’re committed to ensuring that everyone involved makes the right decisions for themselves and their family: each person should be comfortable with those decisions in 5, 10, or 20 years.

Health Legislation Amendment Bill No 3 (2018 Oct 2018): Due to legislation amendment bill no 3, Fertility Solutions will not accept importation of Donor Gamete/Embryos from NSW – Prohibited Practice.  If you have question regarding this please contact us directly.

General Flow Chart – Recipients

General Flow Chart – Recipients

Using a Known Donor

If you would like to use sperm, eggs, or embryos from a known donor, that person or couple will need to meet certain qualifications. Please see our donor information page for the list of criteria, medical screenings, and genetic testing required.

A few things to keep in mind include:

  • Known sperm donors must be between 21 and 46.
  • Known egg donors must be between 21 and 37.
  • Donors will need to take a range of medical and genetic screening tests, as well as detailing their family history to a clinical geneticist. This is meant to minimize the risk of transmitting infectious or genetic diseases.
  • Sperm donors will need to produce a sample for analysis.

Our counsellors ensure that all parties feel comfortable in our facility. We will work with you to protect your privacy.

Donor Recipient Qualifications

If you’re a fertility treatment recipient, we’ll need to assess your medical and genetic history. Both female and male partners will be screened for the following, at a minimum:

  • HIV 1&2 – AIDS (blood test)
  • Hepatitis B & C (blood test)
  • Syphilis (blood test)
  • Chlamydia (Urine Sample)
  • Gonorrhea (Urine Sample)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Screen (if using donor sperm or eggs)
  • Chromosome Analysis (if using donor sperm or eggs)

Female recipients will also be screened for the following:

  • Blood Group (blood test)
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (blood test)
Important Considerations

When you have an initial meeting with your Donor Nurse Coordinator and a counsellor, you’ll get information about using donor sperm, eggs, or embryos. We’ll also assess your situation and provide information on suitable treatments. Insemination with donor sperm, IVF with donor sperm or donor eggs, and Frozen Embryo Transfer cycle are all possibilities.

After that initial consultation, Fertility Solutions has a cooling off period of three months. Being a recipient is a huge decision, and we want to give you and your partner time to ensure that this is the right choice.

If you still wish to undergo treatment after the cooling off period, contact the clinic to arrange a follow up appointment. We’ll give you the relevant consent forms to read ahead of time.

Next Steps

You don’t need a referral from a doctor to arrange a meeting with us. If you would like to discuss becoming a recipient, we would be delighted to arrange a suitable time for you to come in. Please contact us at 1300 FERTILITY (337 845) or email us at enquiries@fssc.com.au. Ask for an appointment with our Donor Nurse Coordinator.