'Ethical egg sharing' plan ends secrecy

One of Britain's most eminent fertility specialists has proposed a radical innovation in the provision of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to boost the number of couples who can benefit from the treatment.

Brian Lieberman, the director of Manchester Fertility Services, plans to remove the cloak of secrecy that surrounds egg donation and encourage infertile couples to find their own donors.

Under present regulations, most couples who receive donated eggs do so anonymously, but the shortage of women prepared to be egg donors leads to long waiting lists for treatment.

Of 8500 couples who have IVF treatment each year, 1300 cases use donated eggs, sperm, or embryos.

Some clinics use egg-sharing schemes to boost the supply. They ask women in need of fertility treatment, but who have healthy eggs, to donate eggs anonymously in return for free treatment.

The arrangement has been controversial for more than a decade because of the risk that clinics might put pressure on women to donate, to provide eggs for other patients.

Mr Lieberman, a leading opponent of egg sharing in the past because of the risk of coercion, this week proposed an alternative arrangement - "ethical egg sharing".

Under his scheme, the egg donor and intended recipient would know each other from the beginning of treatment.

The recipient would find the donor - by word of mouth or by advertising - and meet all treatment costs.

- INDEPENDENT