IVF in Spain

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IVFUnder Spanish law all women have the right to access assisted reproduction techniques, whether or not they have a partner. Women who do not have a partner and who wish to have a child can use a sperm sample from a donor to achieve pregnancy.  

In many cases straightforward artificial insemination without any prior treatment is the most suitable course of action, but there are a great number of women who cannot produce eggs due to a loss of ovarian function or who suffer a genetic disease which they could transmit to their children. In Vitro fertilization (IVF) with donated eggs can provide them with the much wanted pregnancy and birth.

The FIV Center in Madrid launched the Ovodon Program in 2002 for donors who wish to donate their eggs to women with fertility problems.  These donors are selected and controlled under stringent medical, gynecological, analytical and ultrasound scan conditions. Their background is thoroughly researched to avoid family and personal diseases (both genetic and infectious) which could be passed on through their eggs.

Donors must meet the following requirements to be selected for the programme:

  • Aged between 18 and 35
  • Good educational background
  • No  history of genetically transmitted diseases
  • Normal karyotype (chromosome analysis)
  • Negative results in screening for sexually transmitted diseases: Aids, Chlamydia, Herpes or Cytomegalovirus, Toxoplasmosis or German Measles and Syphilis
  • Healthy reproductive apparatus
  • Good physical and mental health
  • History of fertility and/or good response to ovarian stimulation treatment
  • Not having given birth to more than six children

IVF fertilises the woman’s eggs in a laboratory with the sperm from her husband/partner or donor and the embryos obtained from the fertilisation are transferred into the uterus. This technique consists of four phases:

  1. The donation begins with a short treatment of ovarian stimulation which provides between six and twelve mature eggs per cycle. Scans and hormonal analyses check the process and determine the best moment for extraction.

  2. Eggs are retrieved through the vagina with the help of a needle guided by ultrasound. This procedure is very simple and painless carried out under sedation and lasting between 10 and 20 minutes. It needs no stitches and leaves no scars and after 30 minutes the donor can return to normal activity.

  3. Fertilization involves the artificial fertilization of the eggs obtained during the egg retrieval. The biologists mix approximately 25000 spermatozoids (previously selected and prepared) with each egg and waits until the fertilization is achieved.

  4. Embryo transfer involves the transfer of the embryos which have been obtained in the laboratory (usually 2 our 3 days after the egg retrieval) and the embryo freezing which increases the possibilities of getting pregnant in other cycles. For a second try it will only be necessary to carry out the last phase of the cycle.