THIRD-PARTY REPRODUCTION


THIRD-PARTY REPRODUCTION




Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a family, although the natural process may be complex for some.

Partnership and love between individuals of the opposite gender, the same gender or non-binary individuals can be celebrated with children via the help of fertility treatments. However, single individuals can also enjoy children through third-party reproduction assistance. Those who may need this assistance could include:

  • Single mothers by choice
  • LGBTQ+ couples
  • Use of an egg or sperm donor
  • Use of a gestational carrier
  • Use of an embryo donor

Donor Eggs and Embryos


  • Medical factors that may necessitate a donor include:
Medical factors that may necessitate a donor include:
  • Premature ovarian insufficiency or significantly diminished ovarian reserve
  • Age beyond the optimal reproductive years
  • Missing ovaries due to a congenital condition or surgical procedure
  • Medical history of arrested embryo development or poor fertilization
  • Genetic conditions

  • Other factors that could lead to using a donor include:
Other factors that could lead to using a donor include:
  • History or current therapies involving chemo or radiation
  • Multiple failed IVF attempts
  • Single men or transgender individuals requiring reproductive help

Because of the factors that impact the decision to pursue donor assistance and the options available, our doctors work to customize a treatment plan to help you achieve your fertility goals.


  • Personalized Treatment Plans
Personalized Treatment Plans

Using an egg or embryo donor requires significant money, time and personal energy. Patients require screenings, additional medical treatments, and decisions about the egg or sperm bank. Working with our multidisciplinary team gives you expert guidance throughout this journey and develops a customized plan to meet your family’s needs.


  • Receiving Donor Sperm
Receiving Donor Sperm

When preparing for an IUI cycle, the doctor may recommend the use of injectable or oral fertility medications for ovarian stimulation and enhanced ovulation. There is also the option of having the insemination scheduled for the time of your body’s natural cycle. Around the time ovulation occurs, a small catheter is inserted into the uterine cavity and the sperm is injected. This process is done in-office and is similar to a Pap smear. The patient takes a pregnancy test about two weeks later.

If a patient decides to use donor sperm to fertilize the eggs during an IVF treatment, sperm is injected into the eggs in a laboratory. From there, the embryos are transferred into the uterus. They could also be cryopreserved for use later on.


  • Choosing A Donor
Choosing A Donor

When working with donor sperm, there are three options available. These are a known donor, an anonymous donor or an open-identity donor. With an open-identity donor, once the child has reached the age of 18, the child is free to contact the donor if desired

Known Sperm Donor

When using a known sperm donor the donor must undergo a screening exam and bloodwork as required by federal law. When the donor is known, the donor can attend the first consultation with the patient.

Anonymous Sperm Donor

If you choose an anonymous donor, you don’t receive the donor’s identity. Whether you choose to have the donor be anonymous or you want an open-identity donor, our fertility team will help you through the selection process. We can connect you with reputable sperm banks in the area and help ensure that the donor chosen is the healthiest choice for your eggs. We rely on the genetic information revealed from the donor, and we can advise you when purchasing the vials of sperm to ensure you have enough.


  • Donor Screening
Donor Screening

Any individual wishing to be a donor must undergo rigorous screening with a sperm bank. In addition to a complete family and medical history, donors undergo genetic testing to look for potential carrier conditions that may create a genetic defect or illness in the child conceived. When anonymous sperm is donated, it must be frozen and quarantined for six months before being available to use. This provides the time to determine whether or not the sperm donor had an infectious disease.


Gestational Carrier


Also called a gestational surrogate, this arrangement pairs a woman with a couple to carry and deliver their child. There are several reasons why this option might be best. These include:

  • Lacking a uterus from a hysterectomy or congenital absence

  • Uterine factor infertility from adenomyosis, fibroid, pelvic radiation, thin uterine lining or intrauterine adhesions

  • Recurrent miscarriages

  • Medical conditions like renal, pulmonary or cardiac disease that make pregnancy unsafe

  • Repeated failed implantation

  • Transgender individuals or same-sex couples


  • The Process of Gestational Surrogacy
The Process of Gestational Surrogacy

Our team provides caring and supportive guidance for patients looking to address their fertility issues through a gestational carrier. It’s possible to work with a family member or close friend, but there is also the option to be matched with a woman who has applied for a gestational carrier arrangement. These individuals are matched to you through an agency.


  • Gestational Carrier Screening
Gestational Carrier Screening

Like a sperm donor, any gestational carrier candidate must undergo an exhaustive screening process. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to work with a known individual or one recruited through an agency. All medical and obstetric records are evaluated, but there is an additional clinical interview conducted by a mental health team and your doctor. This detailed process protects the health of both the carrier and the child by ensuring only healthy carriers are selected for you.

Part of this process is a uterine cavity evaluation of the carrier. Using either a hysteroscopy or saline sonogram, doctors will look at the condition of the uterus and ensure that it is free from scar tissue, fibroids, polyps or other conditions that could interfere with a successful pregnancy. Our doctors limit carriers to those who can readily travel to one of our offices to finish the screening process and make a return trip for the transfer of the embryo. Our limitations to gestational carrier-friendly states and countries help protect a safe and healthy pregnancy.


  • Parental Screening
Parental Screening

In addition to screening potential carriers, parents looking for surrogacy are also screened. To comply with requirements from the Food and Drug Administration, parents must be routinely screened for infectious diseases. A genetic counseling appointment and genetic testing are also required. A match with a carrier doesn’t need to be in place.


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1632 Pine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: 215-735-7992
Fax: 215-735-7991
Email: info@rwwc.com

Hours

Mon & Wed:  8am – 8pm

Tues, Thurs, Fri: 8am – 4pm

Sat: 9am – 2pm

Sun: Closed

Don’t forget to contact us first when seeking medical care!

 

Copyright by Rittenhouse Women's Wellness Center. All rights reserved.

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