1. Sperm Donation Regulations in China:

In China, sperm donation must be conducted using sperm provided by a sperm bank approved by the national health administration authorities. All other sources of sperm donation are strictly prohibited. Donors must undergo strict screening, and the sperm used must be quarantined to minimize birth defects and prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.

Applicable Scenarios for Sperm Donation: Sperm donation is primarily provided for couples who have difficulty conceiving due to:

  • Irreversible azoospermia, where there are no sperm even after testicular and/or epididymal aspiration.
  • Serious hereditary diseases in the male partner that make reproduction unsuitable.

Types of Sperm Donation:

  • Artificial Insemination with Donor Sperm (AID)
  • In Vitro Fertilization with Donor Sperm (IVF-D)

2. Egg Donation Usage:

Applicable Scenarios for Egg Donation: Egg donation may be considered in cases where:

  • The female partner has lost the ability to produce eggs.
  • The female partner is a carrier or patient of a serious hereditary disease.
  • There are significant factors affecting egg quantity and quality.

The specific cases include:

  • Premature ovarian failure.
  • Underdeveloped female gonads.
  • Iatrogenic ovarian damage (e.g., surgical removal, pelvic radiotherapy, chemotherapy).
  • Inability to retrieve eggs from the ovaries.
  • Female partner is a carrier of X-linked recessive genetic disorders or has autosomal dominant genetic disorders.
  • Repeated IVF failure using the woman’s own eggs.
  • Unexplained recurrent miscarriage.

Sources of Egg Donation:

  • Known relatives or friends.
  • Volunteers recruited through advertisements.
  • Eggs sourced from an egg bank.
  • Surplus eggs from IVF cycles.

3. Embryo Donation:

Embryo donation involves transferring surplus frozen embryos from couples who have successfully conceived through IVF to other couples struggling with infertility.

Note: Embryo donation is currently prohibited in China.

Additional Information:

Due to various factors that can affect pregnancy, not every cycle results in successful conception. The success rate of a single cycle of sperm donation, egg donation, or embryo transfer is generally around 50% to 60%. A very small percentage of these donations may ultimately fail to result in a successful pregnancy or childbirth. It is impossible to guarantee a 100% chance of having a child through sperm donation, egg donation, or embryo donation.

Legal Provisions in China:

According to Chinese law:

  • Children born through “sperm donation and egg donation” are legally recognized as the legitimate children of the receiving couple. They have all the legal rights and obligations, including the right to be supported, the right to education, inheritance rights, and the obligation to support their parents. In cases of divorce, custody of the child is also governed by law.
  • The couple has ethical, moral, and legal obligations towards the child (including children with birth defects).
  • It is stipulated that each sperm or egg donor can contribute to pregnancies for a maximum of 5 women. Clinical follow-up for sperm and egg donations must achieve a 100% follow-up rate.
  • The donor and recipient remain anonymous to each other, maintaining a double-blind process.