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How The World Egg Bank could help you conceive

Banks are usually associated with loans and credit cards but if you’re an individual or couple struggling to conceive a child, you might want to acquaint yourself with another type of bank: The World Egg Bank (TWEB).

Located in Arizona, USA, TWEB is the largest and longest operating egg bank in the world. They’ve been shipping eggs and embryos to fertility clinics across the globe since 2004, including to Fertility SA since 2018.

There are many reasons why an individual or couple might need to use donor eggs to conceive a child, including premature menopause, genetic conditions, treatment for cancer, significant endometriosis, and for women whose own eggs are unable to create embryos able to sustain an ongoing pregnancy.

Use of donor eggs is not uncommon either. In 2017 in Australia and New Zealand alone, more than 3,000 IVF cycles were performed using donor eggs (or embryos), with 707 live births reported.

Keep reading to find out how The World Egg Bank could help you conceive a child.

Why does Fertility SA source donor eggs from The World Egg Bank?

Fertility SA takes the safety and care of its patients very seriously and conducted a thorough review of a number of egg banks worldwide. TWEB comply with our Australian regulations and we are confident they provide a high standard of care to their donors and to our patients at Fertility SA.

Having worked with TWEB for several years now, we continue to be very satisfied with the high level of service our patients receive and our very high pregnancy rates.

TWEB enables patients to have treatment in the comfort of their home state, whilst maintaining an Australian standard of care and ethical requirements. We believe that TWEB are a genuine egg bank that look after the donors, as well as their recipients. We are pleased to report that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic we have continued to receive eggs from TWEB without delay.

What are the benefits of using TWEB, as opposed to using a donor known to you?

Fertility SA strongly supports individual choice. For a whole variety of reasons, we are aware that not all patients feel comfortable using a ‘known’ donor. TWEB allows individuals and couples the ability to access donor oocytes, with the understanding that the child conceived will still be provided with the identifying information about their genetic heritage when the child reaches 18.

In addition, given that all medical appointments, genetic testing, infectious screens and counselling has already taken place, the process and access to treatment is shorter.

All World Egg Bank donors live within the United States and Canada, are aged between 18 to 32 years old, and must meet a range of requirements and pass a variety of screening tests to be eligible to donate.

How do I access eggs from The World Egg Bank?

Deciding to use a donor egg can be a complex one, and at Fertility SA, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

If you would like more information about having treatment using donor eggs, the first step is to make an appointment with one of Fertility SA’s fertility specialists.

Our specialists will help guide you through the process of accessing eggs from The World Egg Bank, including identifying a potential donor, screening for suitability, arranging documentation, and undertaking fertility treatment.

Deciding whether using donor eggs is right for you

For individuals and couples thinking about creating a family with donor eggs, Director of Donor Services, Specialist Dr Sally Reid, believes it is important to seek out information, and take your time making an informed decision.

“We’re lucky enough to have two very experienced counsellors at Fertility SA. They are a fantastic source of information about the donor, the recipient and the child’s rights and responsibilities – but they are not just here for the mandatory process, they are also there for the emotional support if needed and are also just lovely people to bounce ideas off and go through all of the options,” she says.

“It is a really emotionally complex decision, however, using donor eggs to have your child is generally very successful.”

How long does it take for the eggs to arrive from TWEB?

Once patients have completed all of the required appointments, direct payment to TWEB is made. From the shipping date, it takes approximately 5-8 days for the oocytes to reach the laboratory.

Creating South Australian families

If you haven’t been successful in conceiving naturally, or you would simply like to find out about your fertility health before you start trying to conceive, we’re here to help.

Call Fertility SA on (08) 8100 2900 to make an appointment with one of our specialist doctors.

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