Egg Donation vs. Surrogacy: Understanding the Differences

Egg donation and surrogacy are two ways in which people can build their families. The use of egg donor or surrogacy services is usually necessitated by people being unable to use their own eggs, or carry the pregnancy to term. This can occur in the case where a female partner’s eggs are not healthy enough to be used, or when the ovarian reserve is diminished or too low for egg retrieval. At times the need for these services is based on the nature of the family’s relationship such as a same-sex male couple. So let us talk about the main differences between egg donation and surrogacy in the context of family building.  

What Is Egg Donation?

Egg donation is a process where a female gives some of her eggs so that they can be used to build families for others. The egg donor only gives their eggs, but has no parental rights or responsibilities for the children born from their eggs. The egg donor does not carry any pregnancies to term on behalf of the families they donate their eggs to. Egg donors are not always known to the people they donate their eggs to, but sometimes they could even be related. 

What Is Surrogacy?

In a surrogacy family building situation, one female carries a pregnancy to term on behalf of another family. A surrogate, or gestational carrier, is the term used to refer to this individual. Similarly to an egg donor, the surrogate may be known or unknown to the family for whom they carry the pregnancy. As well, the surrogate does not have any parental rights or responsibilities for the baby that they carry and give birth to. A unique feature about surrogacy is that a surrogate could also serve as an egg donor for a family. For example in the case of a same-sex male couple, the surrogate could provide both the egg and the uterus for the pregnancy. 

Comparing the Processes

Egg Donation

An egg donor will undergo a series of physical, medical and health checks to ensure that they themselves, along with their eggs are healthy enough to undergo the egg retrieval process. Ovarian stimulation is done in order  to retrieve multiple mature eggs at once. This process relies on the antral follicles released naturally in the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle. Typically several follicles are released, but when one matures, the rest stop developing and are discarded by the body. Ovarian stimulation aims to develop as many of these follicles so that there are more eggs that mature and not wasted. This also increases the chances of success for fertilization and embryo transfer.   

Surrogacy

For surrogate, typically the surrogate’s eggs are used for conception, together with sperm from the male partner. At times, donor sperm or donor eggs may be used, as the case may be. There are several possible outcomes for a child conceived in this way. Genetically, it could be related to the surrogate and the father, or the surrogate only, or the father only, or neither. In the case of a same sex male couple, the child may be related to either one of the fathers and the surrogate, neither fathers and the surrogate, or neither of the fathers or the surrogate.

Legal and Financial Differences

Family building through egg donation or surrogacy can be complicated. As well, there are many costs incurred in the course of egg donation and surrogacy. By drawing up legal agreements that define the roles and responsibilities of each of the parties and outlining which party is responsible for which costs, there is clarity. Let us see some of the differences - legally as well as financially - between egg donation and surrogacy.

Legal Differences

For egg donors, they are legally obliged to maintain their health, attend all medical appointments and undergo egg retrieval. For the recipients of their eggs, they must ensure that they have met the costs for egg donation in full including the allowances allocated to the egg donor. Once egg donors undergo egg retrieval, their responsibility ends. Recipients will have the legal parental rights and responsibilities for the child conceived using their donor’s eggs.  

Surrogates are legally obligated to stay healthy, attend all medical appointments, carry the pregnancy to term and give birth to the baby. The parents using a surrogate must cater for all the costs that would be incurred in the course of pregnancy, including the surrogate’s allowances and compensation. Once the baby is born, the surrogate’s role is fulfilled and the parents take on the legal parental rights and responsibilities over the baby.

Financial Differences

These two processes not only require a legal framework, there are financial obligations that must be fulfilled. Medical support tends to be the higher cost incurred consisting of evaluations or tests, treatments and aftercare. Here are the various costs incurred in both these processes. 

Egg Donation: An egg donor will have medical evaluations and tests done prior to beginning their treatments. Thereafter they will undergo the process of ovarian stimulation and then submit to an egg retrieval procedure. As well, there are aftercare medications, legal costs, and health insurance costs which are paid for by the intended parents.

Surrogacy: Surrogates undergo medical evaluations and tests prior to becoming pregnant as well. It is usual for surrogates to use their own eggs which are likely to be evaluated for health. Some surrogates may require ovarian stimulation for fertility treatments to become pregnant. Additionally, the sperm sample that will be used has to be prepared. These, including medical support during pregnancy, at delivery, aftercare medication, legal services and insurance, are catered for by the intended parents.

Which Option Is Right for You?

In order to determine whether to use egg donation or surrogacy, you will need to consult with a fertility expert. The reasons to choose either method of family building are based on overall health, and the health of the reproductive organs, medical history, among other factors. The team of experts at the Utah Fertility Center are available to give you the advice, guidance and support you need in determining which method will be best for your circumstances. 

FAQs