When treating infertility, in vitro fertilization is usually not the starting point unless there are distinct indicators present. It can make sense to optimize the hormone status through medical therapy first. This applies especially for women with disturbances of the menstrual cycle. By using a mild stimulation with low doses of hormone supplement, the egg maturation can be improved and by triggering ovulation the optimal moment for sexual intercourse can be determined.
If ovulation induction has not led to a pregnancy an intrauterine insemination (IUI) can make sense. Sperm from the male partner is introduced into the woman’s uterus via a thin catheter. The patency of at least one tube and a sufficient count of motile sperm are required for this procedure. If these requirements are not met, a fallback on in vitro fertilization is unavoidable.
The success rate is around 10-15% when using intrauterine insemination.
The treatment with donor sperm, also called heterologous insemination or heterologous IVF, can be applied for couples when
The donor sperm can be inserted directly into the woman’s uterus. The procedure equals an IUI with the partner’s sperm. The sperm can also be used to fertilize an egg cell outside of the body same as a regular IVF/ICSI treatment. Which of the two treatment options is suitable can be settled in a conversation with the doctor. However, the treatment with donor sperm is not covered by health insurance so it has to be covered privately. Added to that, are the costs of the sperm sample that can be ordered at cooperating sperm banks. The use of donor sperm is strictly regulated in Germany. Only donor sperm of non-anonymous donors may be used.
The couples do not have the possibility of learning the donor’s identity. Only the donor’s child has the right to learn the genetic father’s name when it becomes 18 years old. When choosing sperm it should be ensured that the donor physically fits the couple. Desires for a certain eye or hair color or other features of the donor can be incorporated into the choice. Naturally the sperm bank ensures health safety especially with regards to HIV or hepatitis infections.
Treatment with donor sperm is, by legal provisions of the responsible medical chamber, only available to couples in a stable relationship (married or not) where one of the partners is not married to a third party. The reason for that is the desire for the so conceived child to have the possibility of a stable relationship with both parents.
The performance of reproductive medical treatments for homosexual female couples is absolutely possible within the frame of exercising the basic right to free development and family. It is also not dependent on a civil partnership as defined in the life partnership law. Mother is inherently the woman, who births the child, whereas the life partner of the birthing woman can be neither father nor mother of the child. It is however possible to create a status relation between the non-birthing life partner and the child through adoption.
Through adoption the non-birthing woman becomes a parent to the child as well. The adoption takes place by judicial decision. The decision establishes corresponding rights and responsibilities in accordance with family law, like maintenance obligation, inheritance claims, but also the claim to contact and care. In that regard there are no differences to children of married couples and especially no differences to children that were conceived naturally.
It is important to us that you are informed by a lawyer or a notary about the legal parameters previous to signing a treatment contract, not only out of a sense of responsibility to the children that come into being through sperm donations, but also for the recognition of your parenthood.