Donor Conception
Donor conception is the process of conceiving a baby using donated sperm, eggs or embryos, usually through IUI or IVF. Donor conception involves a donor (the person donating sperm, eggs or an embryo) and recipient parent(s) who receive the donation.
There are several reasons why donor conception may be an option, including
• An individual is unable to produce their own eggs or sperm
• The eggs or sperm are damaged or low in quality and unlikely to result in pregnancy
• There is a high risk of passing on a genetic disorder
• Same-sex couples
• Single people
Egg, sperm and embryo donation in Hong Kong
Egg and sperm donation are legal in Hong Kong, however commercial donation is not. That is, the recipient cannot pay or reward the donor for their eggs or sperm, other than to reimburse any loss or earnings or expenses such as transportation and appointment fees.
Under Hong Kong law, the recipient parents must be a married heterosexual couple. Same sex couples and single people cannot undergo donor conception.
According to the Council on Human Reproductive Technology’s Code of Practice, female donors should be between the ages of 18 and 35, and male donors should be between 18 and 55. All donors must undergo a screening process including their medical history, a physical examination, and laboratory tests to uncover any hereditary or infectious diseases.
Unlike in some countries, there are no organisations or services in Hong Kong that help match recipients with donors. The most common way for a couple to find a donor is to ask a relative or friend. Alternatively, Hong Kong couples can use overseas egg or sperm banks to find a suitable donor. This option will require finding an overseas donor service that will ship the egg or sperm to Hong Kong as well as a Hong Kong private clinic that will receive the egg or sperm and carry out the IUI or IVF treatment. A complete list of licensed clinics can be found here.
