After a long public consultation on the rights and wrongs of egg
and sperm donation, the UK's fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation &
Embryology Authority, gave its formal approval of egg-sharing in October last
year. The technique was largely pioneered by two of the London Women's Clinic's
consultants, Mr Eric Simons and Dr Kamal Ahuja, both now directors at the
LWC. Egg-sharing provides subsidised IVF treatment to a woman who shares
her eggs with another patient who is unable to produce her own.
Support from the HFEA and Nuffield Council
In presenting its evidence to another wider consultation on tissue and organ
donation set up by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the British Medical
Association also announced its support for egg-sharing. Thanks to the
pioneering determination of Mr Simons and Dr Ahuja, egg-sharing is now widely
regarded as a fair and equitable techinique of egg donation, which does not
subject the donor to "unnecessary" fertility treatment.
Themes of research
Exploring why people donate and how both donors and recipients live with the
outcomes has been a frequent theme of research into egg-sharing. The
results of these studies have consistently shown enthusiasm for the technique,
with few regrets (even among those whose treatment would be impossible without
each other's full support and agreement).
If you’re thinking of
egg-sharing as a
possible fertility treatment, do attend one of London Women's Clinic's Inseminar events.
Infertility treatment news : 12 March 2012
