Same-Sex Couples

Families come in all shapes and sizes and at times this will present its own unique set of advantages and challenges. A number of fertility options are available for same sex couples. 

Female Couples

Female couples will most commonly be looking towards the use of donor sperm to help them create their family. 

In NSW all patients wishing to use donor sperm are required to have counselling prior to treatment, as per the NSW Reproductive Act. This can help you to make informed decisions about your care with full confidence. You will be referred to an accredited counsellor who is a member of the Australia and New Zealand Infertility Counsellors’ association (ANZICA). 

Donor Sperm

The two primary sources of donor sperm are:

1. A known donor - this may be a friend or acquaintance who is wishing to donate sperm to you on a altruistic basis, for your fertility care
2. A de-identified donor - via a sperm bank. This is the more common scenario. 

Through my affiliation with Monash IVF there are a number of options to help you access de-identified sperm. This may be via local NSW sperm donors who donate directly through Monash IVF. Additionally Monash IVF maintains an exclusive affiliation with the Californian Cryobank (CBB) that allows improved access and options for donor sperm. Importantly, there is no waitlist for donor sperm treatment with 20+ sperm donors immediately available at any one time via Monash IVF and the CBB. 

About the Donor Sperm Process

All sperm donors are thoroughly screened for significant personal history, family medical history and genetic disorders.

Mandatory testing includes an 

• Infection screen (including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilisVDRL, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma), 
• Karyotype and Genetic Carrier Screening. 
• Semen testing - to ensure sperm is of good quality 

Each donor completes a detailed questionnaire including if they have children already, interests, occupation, and the highest level of education achieved. The donor details are recorded and de-identified.

The donor must also undergo mandatory counselling before donating sperm. This is aimed at helping the donors understand the implications of being a donor.

The NSW Reproductive Act is strictly followed. The donor must understand that he can be contacted by any offspring created using his sperm when the offspring turns 18 years. All donor births are recorded in a Donor Registry.

The (deindeintfied) donor cannot contact the offspring or the parents (donor sperm recipients). Likewise, the donor sperm recipients cannot contact the donor.

The sperm is first tested to ensure it is adequate for fertility treatment cycles to result in a pregnancy. Once a potential sperm donor is given clearance to proceed as a donor, samples of their sperm are then frozen and quarantined. After the quarantine period, the donor is again tested for infections. If all results are negative, the sperm can be used in a treatment cycle.

The Monash IVF NSW Donor Support team team are available to answer all your questions. They can assist you in choosing the right donor for you. You can contact them directly on +61 2 9154 1170 or via email donor.nsw@monashivf.com

Egg Sharing

Egg sharing is where the eggs of one partner are used in an IVF cycle to create embryos that are then transferred into the other partner, with the effect that one partner is the birth parent and the other partner is the genetic parent. 

Male Couples

Male couples will most commonly require both an egg donor and a surrogate to conceive. Commercial surrogacy, where the surrogate is paid, is not permitted in Australia. Surrogacy arrangements will require a gestational surrogate (where the egg is not also provided by the surrogate, but rather by a different egg provider). 

Surrogacy

Pregnancy via surrogacy is complex. It requires several considerations and steps to be be taken prior to conception to ensure not only that all regulatory framework is followed but also to ensure the best possible outcomes for the child, intended parents, surrogate and donors. 

Intended surrogates are thoroughly screened for significant personal history, family medical history and genetic disorders, to ensure their fitness for pregnancy. 

Mandatory testing includes:

• Infection screen (including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis, Rubella, Varicella, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea), 
• Pelvic ultrasound

The intended surrogate must undergo mandatory counselling. This is aimed at helping the surrogate understand the implications of being a surrogate. Independent legal advice is also required. The NSW Surrogacy Act is strictly followed. 

Egg Donation

The two primary sources of donor eggs are:

1. A known donor - this may be a friend or family member who is wishing to donate their eggs to you on a altruistic basis, for your fertility care
2. A de-identified donor - via an Egg bank. 

Through my affiliation with Monash IVF there are a number of options to help you access de-identified egg donors. Monash IVF maintains an exclusive relationship with three International donor egg banks including Manor Medical, Central IVF and The World Egg Bank. Importantly, all donors offered have met Australian Legislative requirements. 

In NSW all patients wishing to utilise surrogacy and or donor gametes (eggs, sperm and embryos) are required to have counselling prior to treatment. This can help you to make informed decisions about your care with full confidence. 



About the Egg Donor Process

All egg donors are thoroughly screened for significant personal history, family medical history and genetic disorders.

Mandatory testing includes:

• Infection screen (including HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea), 
• Karyotype and Genetic Carrier Screening 
• Pelvic ultrasound

Each donor completes a detailed questionnaire including if they have children already, interests, occupation, and the highest level of education achieved. 

The donor must also undergo mandatory counselling before donating eggs. This is aimed at helping the donors understand the implications of being a donor.

The NSW Reproductive Act is strictly followed. The donor must understand that she can be contacted by any offspring created using her eggs when the offspring turns 18 years. All donor births are recorded in a Donor Registry.

Once a potential egg donor is given clearance to proceed as a donor, they will undergo ovarian stimulation with the use of hormone injections and a day surgery procedure for egg collection. Their eggs are then frozen before being used for treatment for the intended donor recipient. 

The process for the use of the donor eggs involves:

• fertilising the eggs with either your or your partner's sperm or donor sperm.
• ICSI is used to fertilise eggs and create embryos, which are then frozen for a quarantine period. 
• The resulting embryos are later thawed and transferred to the surrogate’s uterus at the correct time in the menstrual cycle.
• Medications, including oestrogen and progesterone, may be given to the surrogate to prepare the lining of the uterus for embryo transfer.

The Monash IVF NSW Donor Support team team are available to answer all of your questions including regarding surrogacy. You can contact them directly on +61 2 9154 1170 or via email donor.nsw@monashivf.com