Egg Donation vs. Surrogacy: Understanding the Differences

There are many ways by which family building occurs from natural conception, to assisted reproductive treatments, to adoption and surrogacy. Today family structures have become more unique from traditional heterosexual coupling, to single parent families, and same sex families. When we look at the diverse nature of families, we gain an appreciation for what it takes to build and sustain healthy families and communities.

Building families is central to our human existence and for those who desire to have families, there is almost no limit to the extent they will go to bring this to reality. In this article we shall be looking specifically at two similar, but different ways of building families. Egg donation and surrogacy both rely on a third party’s eggs, but there are a few differences in the process. 

What Is Egg Donation?

Egg donation is whereby a female gives her eggs, so that someone else can use them to build their family. The egg donor may or may not be personally known to the recipients of their eggs. As well, the donor does not carry the pregnancy once fertilization takes place, rather the recipients of the donor eggs select who would carry the pregnancy. Most  times, it is the female partner in the recipient relationship who carries the pregnancy to term. 

What Is Surrogacy?

Surrogacy is where a female carries a pregnancy to term and delivers the baby on behalf of another. The one who carries this pregnancy is known as a surrogate. With surrogacy, the surrogate may or may not be personally known to the potential parents of the baby. As well, the surrogate may or may not use her eggs for the conception.

Comparing the Processes

Egg Donation

With egg donation, the donor undergoes a series of checks to ensure that they are a suitable match. This entails physical, medical, psychological and DNA evalutions to ensure that they are fit and well prepared for what they are going to undergo. Once these checks are complete and the donor is cleared to go ahead, the next steps are the stimulating of the ovaries in order for their eggs to be retrieved.

Ovarian stimulation relies on the number of antral follicles released during the follicular phase of a menstrual cycle. Naturally several follicles are released and once one reaches full maturity, the rest of the follicles stop developing. With ovarian stimulation, more of these follicles develop to maturity, allowing for several mature eggs to be retrieved within that cycle. Having many eggs is vital for the next steps of fertilization and embryo transfer. 

Surrogacy

With surrogacy, the sperm tends to come from the male partner, or one of the male partners if the surrogacy is for a same sex male couple. There are times when donor sperm is used for surrogacy as well. When it comes to the eggs the usual practise is to use the eggs of the surrogate, however, there are cases where third party donor eggs are used. 

The result is that the baby that is formed may be the product of one of several possibilities. The child may be related to the surrogate and the father (or one of the fathers in a same sex male couple), the surrogate only, the father only (or one of the father in a same sex male couple), or if donor sperm and donor eggs were used, neither surrogate nor father (or one of the fathers in a same sex male couple).

Legal and Financial Differences

Now that we have an overview of the differences between egg donation and surrogacy, let us look at the legal and financial aspects that make egg donation and surrogacy possible. The nature of family building using these two methods involves parties within and outside of the family that is being built. 

Legal Differences

With egg donation, the role of the donor is to undergo preliminary medical checks, then undergo medical treatments in order for their eggs to be retrieved. This means that they are responsible for ensuring that they remain healthy, show up for the medical appointments, and undergo the actual egg retrieval. In most cases, this is where their role ends, with many couples or individual preferring not to develop any further relationship with their donor. As well, donors do not often have contact with the children born from the eggs they donate. 

With surrogacy, the role of the surrogate once they undergo the preliminary checks and conceive or undergo fertility treatments to enable them to become pregnant, is to carry the pregnancy to term and deliver the baby once it is due. This means that they are responsible for maintaining their health and doing what is necessary to ensure that they are able to deliver a healthy baby. As well, many who build their families in this way may not want any further or future contact with the surrogate.

As we have seen role of donors and surrogates is usually for a limited time only. They provide something akin to an essential service to the family building process. Their rights and responsibilities to the process are different from the rights and responsibilities of the potential parents in the families they help to build. In order to ensure that all parties are clear on the extent of their roles and responsibilities, a legal framewok must guide the process of egg donation and surrogacy from beginning to the end.

Financial Differences

There are also costs involved in helping the families get a baby. The larger costs tend to go toward the medical support needed within either egg donation or surrogacy. From medical evaluations and treatments, to follow up and aftercare. The legal counsel and legal agreements required to support the smooth running of these family building processes also comes at a cost.

• Egg Donation: The costs typically incurred for egg donation include pre-retrieval medical evaluations and tests, medical treatments for the ovaries to develop multiple eggs for retrieval, egg retrieval procedure, aftercare medications following the egg retrieval and legal services.
• Surrogacy: The costs for surrogacy include pre-pregnancy medical evaluations and tests, sperm sample preparation and ovarian stimulation treatments if the surrogate will undergo fertility treatments to become pregnant, medical support during pregnancy and delivery, aftercare, and legal services.

Which Option Is Right for You?

Each individual and family situation is different. As well, the family building goals are just as varied. In order for one or a couple to know which family building option is right, it is important to consult with a professional healthcare provider who specializes in these areas of family building. The San Diego Fertility Center has experts in family building. Contact us today for both professional expertise and compassionate support to help you reach your family building goals. 

FAQs

What is the difference between egg donation and surrogacy?

Egg donation is a process which provides eggs to an individual or couple for conception, while surrogacy involves a third party carrying a pregnancy to term for someone else.

Can I be both an egg donor and a surrogate?

Yes, one can be both. However each process has different requirements and different screening procedures because they are separate processes.

Which option is better for intended parents?

Intended parents all come from different health and medical backgrounds. Some may require a surrogate because their uteruses are unable to. Others may have viable uteruses able to carry the pregnancy, but requiring an egg from a donor.