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Fertility clinics to recruit more lesbians as egg donors for IVF
Sophie Goodchild, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent9 Jun 2009
Fertility clinics are to target lesbians as egg donors after research found they were more likely than heterosexual women to give birth after IVF.
The study, published today, reports that gay women who attended a London clinic were up to 20 per cent more likely to have a baby than their heterosexual counterparts.
It opens the way for clinics to ask lesbians to share their eggs.
Researchers believe the difference between lesbian and straight women arises because most gay women seek treatment for lifestyle reasons, and not because they have fertility problems.
Conversely, most straight women seek IVF because they have problems conceiving.
The study was by the London Women's Clinic in Harley Street.
Dr Kamal Ahuja, its scientific director, said: "These results are remarkable. This is the first indication that the quality of eggs for lesbian women is better.
"It's also a remarkable turnaround - 10 years ago lesbian women weren't all that welcome in fertility clinics. Now that's changed. These women are going to be our saviours. This is evidence that they make excellent patients in egg-sharing schemes - both as donors and recipients."
Lesbians will be encouraged to take part in the "egg-sharing" system pioneered by the clinic.
In return for subsidised IVF, they will donate some of their eggs to an anonymous recipient. This enables both women to become pregnant, and provides an alternative to using an "altruistic" donor who does not want children of her own.
There is currently a shortage of suitable egg donors at British clinics.
As a result, an increasing number of couples are going abroad for treatment. In countries such as Spain, India and the US women can be paid for donating eggs, but this is banned in Britain.
Dr Ahuja said: "There's a huge unmet demand for donor eggs in the UK. Egg-sharing is one potential solution. This puts an end to women needing to go to countries like India."
The London Women's Clinic research was based on data from 202 of its lesbian patients up to December last year.
The study, in its magazine Ova, looked at those who took part in the egg-sharing scheme, and others who did not take part but still had conventional IVF.
I'm happy to be helping others'
Kelly Guarina is pregnant for the first time after using a sperm donor.
The cleaning contractor, 30, underwent IVF at the London Women's Clinic, where she also donated eggs to two women.
Her treatment should have cost £4,500 but she paid £505 in return for sharing eggs with other patients.
Ms Guarina, from Swansea, said she always wanted children although her partner Louise has a daughter, 19, from an earlier relationship.
She said: “I had to wait two weeks for the results but was so delighted when it was positive. I'm so happy I'm helping other women as well this way — I think lesbian women should be able to help out like this.”
Her only concern was that any children born from donated eggs are entitled to track her down when they turn 18.
The baby she is carrying will also be entitled to find the sperm donor.
Reader views (7)
im in loving relationship with the woman of my dreams but we want a child and have no clue as to how to go about this.any advice.
- susan, kent, 07/02/2012 17:16
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my partner and i have been together for about three years now i have children ...had a tubal after last child sixteens years ago but now would love to share the birth of a child with my life partner. i have no problem of egg donation, also have male friend willing to help as well, where can we find help to make our dream come true.
- Debbie, united states, 10/02/2010 16:04
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I'm lesbian and my partner and i want a baby so so much but have not got any close enough male friends or aquaintences that are willing do help us and donate for us. Im scouring the net as we speak for details and clinics and stuff and i stumbled accross this site. I know that money IS NOT a factor for somebody's happiness and i would pay the value of the entire world to have a baby, i think the egg sharing scheme is an excellent idea! whilest we would be receving help to create our family we will also be doing a selfless act by donating eggs at the same time, also completing somebody elses dreams and wishes. its an excellent idea and something me and my partner would definitly look into. And i completely agree, i KNOW if i wasnt gay then i would have children now. I just wanted to share that this is a fantastic option and opurtunity for so many women out there to make themselves feel complete x
- Leo, Banbury, 10/02/2010 15:04
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I am a lesbian and i think it is a great that we have the option to have ivf treatment enabling us to have a baby! If we WASNT gay then we would most probaly have kids anyway!!
me and my partner have a 3yr old boy already and cost us a lot of money, alot more than ivf!
- Julia, Tamworth, 10/02/2010 15:04
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Half the problems in this world are due to it being overpopulated. Fertility treatment is just a massive waste of time and money!
- Man U Fan, London, 10/02/2010 15:04
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To Man U Fan. So.. seeing as the world is over-populated by cars.. I am going to stop you buying a new car - thats such a wast of time and money. And, as Man U football matches are so crowded.. I am going to stop you ever going again even tho, no doubt you feel you are entitled to it, you work for your ticket and you really enjoy going. Get a grip you un-educated twit. Leave your comments for something you actually have an understanding about as clearly.. you know nothing about fertilty, infertilty or life.
- Lisa, Bristol, 10/02/2010 15:04
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Wild guess here - lesbians only have difficulty reproducing because they prefer not to do so with men. Fair enough - but that means their plumbing is more likely to be in as good a working order as any other woman. Heterosexual women who go for IVF are likely to be doing so, I would humbly suggest, because their plumbing (or that of their spouses) ISN'T working to specs.
Small wonder that lesbians are more likely to be successful. It's not rocket science to figure that out, for goodness sakes!
- Rogan, Irving, 10/02/2010 15:04
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