Egg donation and surrogacy – all the latest news
Today, we’re catching up with Growing Families’ event organiser Sam Everingham for a sneak peak into the very latest need-to-knows on egg donation and surrogacy in the UK and across the globe.
Over to Sam – what are the headlines?
More and more of us are turning to egg donation and international surrogacy to build our families
When Anita first engaged in surrogacy after years of failed IVF transfers, she never envisaged that the Ukrainian surrogate who she matched with would go on to become close friends.
Not only that, but after one successful surrogacy journey, her Ukrainian surrogate offered to carry a second child, this time in the UK.
Anita did not need a donor, but with increasing numbers of women now much older when they first tackle IVF, egg donation and sometimes surrogacy too, are becoming key needs for more and more of us.
Plus, given the diverse ethnic mix of Britain and Europe, finding egg donors who resemble the intended mums can be tough.
The good news is that the Growing Families team has provided expert advice in this space for well over a decade.
Egg donation and surrogacy in 2024 – what’s the latest?
Many countries, including Greece and Spain, have thriving Donor IVF programs, but these are all anonymous, without the ability to even view images of the donor.
So providers in less restrictive countries (think the US, Canada, Georgia and even Ukraine) have increasingly stepped in to provide known or identity release donors, to meet the growing demand for transparency.
When it comes to surrogacy options for UK and European nationals, the ongoing war against Ukraine has caused huge problems for that country’s surrogacy programs.
However, Georgia, which had been planning to close its programs in early 2024, has put a hold on such plans, leaving this as a viable option for some heterosexual couples looking for affordability.
Greece also has surrogacy available for foreigners, but like North Cyprus, prices have increased dramatically and surrogates are nearly always brought in from elsewhere, leading to serious ethical concerns.
What does this mean for intended parents?
This means established locations like Canada and the US are in high demand. There is also increasing interest in less known alternatives like Argentina and Ghana, given surrogates are all local and these countries have amenable laws.
The Growing Families Egg Donation & Surrogacy Information Day will have experts available from each of these destinations and there will be ample opportunity to ask the hard questions and learn from parents who have walked in your shoes.
Surrogacy news, and more – the talks to earmark, at the Surrogacy & Donor Information Day
Designed to give you realistic expectations and help you navigate the options, the day is a chance to come together to support journeys to parenthood, focusing particularly on donor options, as well as surrogacy.
Don’t miss these key updates.
1. Selecting, matching and getting started
If you’re at the very beginning of your family-building journey, you’ll be in good hands. Hear about differences in timelines with surrogacy and egg donation, all about donor and surrogate screening and matching, especially across borders, using repeat vs. first-time surrogates, and more.
Be sure to attend:
- Considerations in Where to Engage – 9.30 – 9.50
- Considerations in Selecting a Donor – 9.50 – 10.10
- Considerations in Surrogate Matching – 10.10 – 10.30
2. Surrogacy news and latest developments globally
Get clued up on the latest surrogacy news to know, with expert advice from doctors and surrogates, as well as hearing from a panel of recent parents like Anita, who engaged in international surrogacy – in the US, Canada, Georgia or Northern Cyprus.
Be sure to attend:
- Surrogacy & Donor IVF in Greece, Georgia, Ghana & Argentina – 10.30 – 11.10
- Parent Panel – 14.30 – 15.10
- Surrogate Panel – 16.05 – 16.40
3. Egg donor updates
If you’re looking at building your family with donor eggs, you’ll be able to hear about egg and embryo donation options in 2024 as well as dive into the ins and outs of known vs ID release donors, ethnicity considerations, shipping donor eggs for surrogacy, and more.
Be sure to attend:
- Donor Egg & Donor Embryo Options – 12.05 – 12.25
- Disclosure to Donor/Surrogacy-conceived – 16.40 – 17.00
4. Legal ins and outs, in Europe and beyond
Something that can feel particularly daunting if we’re thinking about egg donation IVF and surrogacy are the legal frameworks – especially if we’re looking to go abroad. Specialist lawyers will discuss how their nationals can have newborns via surrogacy recognised, and outline what should be on your legal checklist.
Be sure to attend:
- Obtaining Passports for Newborns/Country Exit Processes – 14.00 – 14.15
- Obtaining Parental Orders in the UK Post-surrogacy – 14.15 – 14.30
- Surrogate and Newborn Insurance in foreign jurisdictions – 15.40 – 16.05 (Room 1)
- Legal Processes for other European Countries – 15.40 – 16.05 (Room 2)
