changes to egg donation

alypraying · Post by **alypraying** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:14 pm

Hi all I know most of you are doing IVF and will be using your own eggs so I understand that this might be one sided and would like your views. Yesterday HEFA banned the process of women getting cheaper IVF for donating eggs. I cannot understand this as many women cannot afford IVF and this is their oppotunity to actually have a go. Surely if a women makes the decision to donate her eggs it is her choice!! and if the recipient shares the cost of her IVF what harm is there?? There is such a shortage of donors and waiting lists of 2 years, this is going to make finding an egg donor almost impossible. Sorry for the rant but I feel that my only chance of ever having a child has been ripped away. I don't agree with selling eggs as they do in the states but sharing cost of treatment is another matter. Sorry if this offends anyone but I am very upset my sister wanted to be a donor but HEFA said she was too old at 37, now they have stopped egg sharing do they ever think how these decisions effect people before they make there rules? sorry for the rant love to all Aly xx

JULES K · Post by **JULES K** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 1:44 pm

Hi Aly, I too saw the report you are referring to. It is the process of egg giving which is being made illegal, that is a woman has one cycle andd gives all her eggs away. She then has a second cycle and gets to keep all those eggs for herself. It has been stopped because they are basically saying that the women has zero chance of becoming pregnant on that first cycle as she is giving all her eggs away so she is putting herself through potential health risks for no reason. The process of egg sharing whereby half the eggs are donated and half are kept is still allowed as I understand it. Hope this makes sense. Take Care Love Julie xx

SJ BROWN · Post by **SJ BROWN** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:13 pm

Hi ALy, I tried to post about this this morning but pc was buggered!! I too was shocked, although my eggs are ok(as far as I know) this was going to be an option if we have to do full cycle again to reduce the cost!! Julie-where did you get your info cos when I looked at teletext yesterday it was worded as "cheap IVF cost for eggsharing" now banned which makes me think you cannot half your costs if you share your eggs either?? It makes me cross because it is yet another hurdle/emotional strain/financial strain for us all to contend with Chin up Aly........I understand fully where you are coming from Sarah xx

JULES K · Post by **JULES K** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:04 pm

Hi Sarah, The report I saw was on BBC or ITV news. Maybe I have misunderstood the article but as I understood it egg sharing from one cycle ie you get half and another recepient gets half) is OK but you can't give all your eggs away from your first cycle on the basis of getting a second cheaper cycle from which you get to keep all your eggs. It was the process of "egg giving" which was being banned but the report said "egg donation" is OK. Love Julie xx

helenlouise · Post by **helenlouise** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 6:21 pm

Hi, the way i understood the report is exactly the way Julie describes it above. They are not banning egg sharing where a woman would be going through the treatment anyway and chooses to share half her eggs, they are banning a woman going through an egg collection when she will not benefit from that cycle at all. I think the news reports have used the headline misleadingly purely because they don't realsie the distinction between egg sharing of the cycle and egg giving of an entire cycle away. Don't worry Aly, I'm sure there are people out there like me who realise that by having IVF and sharing at the same time they are helping others and one will come your way soon i hope. helenx

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 6:56 pm

hi aly, i think it's bl..dy outrageous that egg giving is banned. julie and helen are right though egg sharing is ok, it's egg giving that's stopped. however i still think it's outrageous. what happens to women that do not produce enough eggs per cycle to share? will this lead to higher drug dosage or what? i think what they fail to realise is that women who undergo treatment don't give up easily. i believe that unless anyone has struggled with fertility then they have no idea what a couple go through. it would be very interesting to know how many people on the committees that decide on policy have actually been personally affected by fertility issues. i have decided to write to the hfea. it won't change the decision but i'll feel better for it. aly, i am fortunate to be (early) pregnant but it has taken a long hard slog to get here. there are enough hurdles without more being put in the way. i sincerely hope that 2004 is your year, and keep ranting its healthy! best wishes, phil

alypraying · Post by **alypraying** » Mon Dec 01, 2003 10:12 pm

Hi all I am so touched by your responses thankyou so much, I have finally calmed down and read the report on the HFEA site basically it is as Julie said but I still think people should have a choice and the choice is being taken away. Anyhow I am feeling slightly less hysterical!! Phil thankyou for your comments I read your post a natural pregnancy well done so it can really happen then! Right I'm going to give my DH a big hug as I was hell to be with yesterday and he was wonderful, the pressure of this is hell sometimes and if I didn't have all of you to talk to I'd be a mess. my thoughts and prayers are with each and everyone. Love and hugs Aly xx

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