Third Party Reproduction

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Your Third Party Fertility Options

Sometimes, a family needs a helping hand by way of an egg donor, sperm donor, and/or gestational carrier. That’s where third party reproduction comes in. Science has made great advances in this area, and many aspiring parents are choosing third party support for various medical and personal reasons.

At TRIO, our designated third party coordinator is available to walk you through your options, answer any questions, and guide you through each stage of the process.

Donor Egg Programs at TRIO

TRIO offers several options to help aspiring parents who require a donor egg to support their fertility journey.
  • Known Egg Donor: This option is for aspiring parents who wish to find a known egg donor such as a friend, relative, or acquaintance
  • Anonymous Egg Donor: Alternatively, some people may wish to find an anonymous egg donor sourced through one of the agencies recommended by TRIO. Our third party coordinator will provide you with a list of agencies.
  • Egg Bank: TRIO works with a Canadian distributor, as well as several Canadian-compliant U.S. or International egg banks that offer frozen eggs and/or embryos. All of these facilities have excellent egg donation programs and databases of frozen eggs. All eggs and embryos have been screened by the egg bank. The eggs or embryos are delivered directly to the TRIO lab and the intended parent’s embryo transfer takes place at TRIO.

Donor Sperm Program at TRIO

TRIO offers several options to help aspiring parents who require donor sperm to support their fertility journey.
  • Known Sperm Donor: A known sperm donor can be a friend, relative, or acquaintance selected by the intended parent(s)
  • Sperm Bank: Anonymous Sperm Donor: An anonymous sperm donor is a donor chosen from a Health Canada approved sperm bank.
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Gestational Carrier Program at TRIO

A gestational surrogate can be a friend, relative, or acquaintance. Alternatively, aspiring parents may find a gestational carrier through one of TRIO’s recommended agencies. Your TRIO fertility team will provide you with a list of agencies that we work with.

Please note, due to insurance restrictions, TRIO does not accept international patients using a Canadian gestational carrier.

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Third Party Reproduction Process

1

First Medical Appointment

At the initial medical appointment with your TRIO doctor, we get to know your medical details and discuss various options. This helps us to create a personalized plan for your third party reproduction journey. We’ll take a complete medical history for you and your partner, if applicable. This visit is covered by OHIP.

2

Meet with the Third Party Coordinator

After your first medical appointment, you will have a consultation with TRIO’s Third Party Coordinator. She will answer all of your questions and provide you with the details that will help guide you through the next steps of your third party reproduction process at TRIO.

3

Counselling

You and your partner, if you have one, will then meet with a fertility counsellor to discuss individual or relationship concerns and expectations about treatment. The counsellor can help support your well-being before and during the third party reproduction process. Counselling is mandatory for TRIO patients going through a third party reproduction process.

4

Testing

All patients using an egg donor, sperm donor, or gestational carrier will be required to do an additional series of tests that may include blood work, imaging, genetic screening, and sperm testing. This testing will vary depending on the third party options you require. These testing requirements apply to intended parents as well as donors and gestational carriers.

5

Follow up with your TRIO Physician

You and your doctor will meet again. This is the point in your journey where you will receive approval to proceed, depending on the results of the tests.

6

Meet with a Fertility Lawyer

At this point, a legal agreement is required. All parties must receive independent counsel. Everyone who is involved in the process is advised of their legal rights and obligations by independent lawyers who are well-versed in the legalities associated with third party reproduction.TRIO’s third party coordinator will provide you with options for legal advice.

7

Orientation

You will be asked to watch TRIO’s online education videos before beginning treatment. The videos are very informative and will outline every step of the medical process in detail.

8

Your Treatment Journey

Once you’ve completed the steps outlined above, you are ready to begin your treatment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

There are many reasons aspiring parents may choose to use a donor egg. Some common scenarios are:

  • Same-sex couples using a gestational carrier
  • Late maternal age
  • Premature ovarian failure
  • Turner's Syndrome
  • Surgical removal of the ovaries
  • Genetic abnormality
  • Personal reasons
Approved donors undergo ovarian stimulation to produce many eggs. Egg retrieval is performed on the donor under ultrasound guidance. Then, eggs are inseminated with the recipients' partner's sperm (or if required, donor sperm) to create an embryo.
The choice is up to you and often depends on the availability of the donor. Fresh does give a slightly higher chance of success — by approx 3% to 5% — but this should not be a deciding factor.
It is a matter of personal preference and can be contingent on which options are available at the bank you are working with.
At the moment, there are no Canadian egg banks.
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Patient Stories

“Thank you to Dr. Casper and the wonderful nurses at TRIO for guiding us through this journey and helping to bring our dream come true. We are over the moon, welcome our sweet little boy!”
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Camilia, Patient
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