Egg, Sperm, and Embryo Donation in Iran

Just think of you two being eager to start a family, but there is a complication that doesn’t seem to happen by itself. Fertility donation stands as one of the methods to grow your family, having help offered by others (you receive an egg or sperm from another person). Here’s how it works:

Sperm donation: A benevolent man donates sperm with high traits, which is then used to fertilize an egg.

Egg donation: The altruistic female provides healthy eggs that are later fertilized with male sperm, followed by the creation of an embryo.

Embryo donation: The fantastic donor couple donates the embryo, which has just been implanted into another woman with a large uterus to carry the baby.

By using this method, couples struggling with infertility can have a biological child.

Who needs egg, sperm, or embryo donation?

Sperm donation: Sperm donation includes the solution for the female partner having trouble accepting eggs and decreasing the amount of eggs produced. Even women who do not want to get married but are interested in getting pregnant can also benefit from this method. Sperm donation will be put in different ways, including insemination, where the sperm is placed right in the uterus, or IVF, as an alternative, where the whole process happens outside the body.

Egg donation: Moreover, it is an opportunity for those women who have infertility and whose eggs can not be healthy. These could result from being old, ill, or possessing hereditary consequences. The eggs can be obtained from a close friend, family member, or anonymous donor. From there, they fertilize these eggs through IVF with the sperm (sourced from the partner/donor) to generate the embryos that are implanted in a recipient’s uterus.

Embryo donation: This type of fertilization provides an embryo that is not connected to the couple but to a man’s and a woman’s eggs. Usually, such embryos belong to couples who have been through oocyte in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and do not intend to use some of the embryos. The donated embryo is then implanted into the uterus of a recipient so that she can undergo pregnancy.

Reason for Donation	Type of Donation	Description	Estimated Usage (US per Year)
Male infertility	Sperm Donation	It is used when the male partner has low sperm count, poor sperm quality, or genetic concerns.	30,000 cycles
Single women seeking pregnancy	Sperm Donation	It enables single women to have a biological child.	10,000 cycles
Same-sex female couples	Sperm Donation	Allows same-sex female couples to have a child with a biological father.	5,000 cycles
Female infertility	Egg Donation	It is used when the female partner has difficulty producing healthy eggs due to age, medical conditions, or genetic risks.	20,000 cycles
Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT)	Egg Donation	It may be used with PGT to avoid passing on genetic diseases from the female partner.	5,000 cycles
Ethical concerns with using own eggs	Egg Donation	Some individuals may choose egg donation due to ethical concerns about using their eggs.	Uncommon (difficult to estimate)
Difficulty achieving pregnancy with one’s eggs	Embryo Donation	It is used when couples struggle to achieve pregnancy with their eggs and sperm, even with IVF.	5,000 cycles
Unused embryos from IVF	Embryo Donation	Couples who have undergone IVF may donate their unused embryos to help others.	10,000 embryos

*These numbers represent the US market and may vary in other countries.

Iran’s sperm, egg, and embryo donation policy

Concerning egg, sperm, and embryo donation, their regulation processes are carried out by legal and religious principles in Iran. Here are the key points:

A regularity in egg donation:

Egg donation is a permissible and well-known egg-donation method used in Iran to help those couples who have problems with infertility to reproduce.

An Iranian donor’s donated egg must undergo full medical and psychological screening and testing.
The remuneration of the donors is standard in the donating institutes and is usually limited to the time and effort spent.
Only a few days ago, a new law was enacted forbidding the transfer of fertilized eggs from Iranian donors to foreigners. It is now necessary to obtain embryos from abroad.

A regularity in Sperm Donation

Besides, in addition to sperm donation is also considered for couples who experience difficulties in conceiving due to male infertility in Iran.
Sperm donors are subjected to a rigorous screening process before donation and usually undergo genetic testing and discussion, as well as counseling.

A Regularity in Embryo Donation

Donating embryos is lawfully permissible in Iran, and it is legally well established in such laws as the “Act on Embryo Donation to Infertile Couples.”
In IVF, embryos should be implanted by the sperm and egg from couples that have legal marriage.
Additionally, licensed fertility centers receive permission to conduct embryo transfer and are monitored by the Ministry of Health.
Other steps are needed, such as following Islamic law and religious decrees by Shiite clerics on the spiritual level.

Requirements and Regulations

Artificial fertilization with donors (egg/sperm) is somewhat lawless as the fatwa on it is not regulated explicitly. Still, some practices have discovered certain fatwas that permit it.
It is believed that only strict monitoring and control of gamete donations are needed because they involve personal and social aspects.
The Act and its bylaws state the recipients’ qualifications, rights and responsibilities, procedural formalities, and embryo donation bylaws.

Iranian law generally allows gamete donation, but stipulations are based on religious decrees that still need to be followed. However, eggs, sperm, and embryos donated in Iran are legal as long as the legal framework is followed; however, given that they have a specific legal framework and another based on religious decrees governing gamete donation, they still need to be followed.

requirements for an egg donor and egg recipient in Iran

Requirements for an Egg Donor in Iran:

Age: Between 21 to 29 years old
Body Mass Index (BMI): Between 19 to 29
Good physical and mental health
No history of life-threatening diseases, genetic disorders, or sexually transmitted diseases
Successful previous pregnancy (preferred but not mandatory)
Muslim faith (preferred for Muslim intended parents)

Requirements for an Egg Recipient in Iran:

Age: Maximum age of 45 years old, as pregnancy at older ages can pose risksPhysically and mentally ready for pregnancy
Financial solid background to afford the treatment
Healthy reproductive system
Being at childbearing age

To ensure eligibility, the egg donor undergoes many medical tests, such as physical checks, ultrasounds, blood and urine tests, hormonal tests, and psychological tests. The receiving couple can look at the donor’s picture and choose a suitable donor based on their family background and appearance.

Before the egg donation process can begin, both the giver and the receiver must give their permission and may need to sign legal papers. The method includes getting the donor’s hormones to work, retrieving the egg, fertilization, and transferring the baby to the recipient’s uterus.

Want to learn more about donation options?

IranHealthAgency: All-in-one destination for doctors’ consultations

We can assist you in arranging consultations with accredited physicians in Iran who specialize in various medical fields. We can also help you schedule the required medical tests. Moreover, we can facilitate money transfers and payments to healthcare providers, if necessary. Finally, we can help you submit verification requests and documentation to obtain donation approval. Please let me know how I can be of assistance.