The document provides an overview of double gamete and embryo donation procedures in 23 European countries based on information collected by the author. Key points include:
- Double gamete donation and embryo donation are permitted in 13 countries, forbidden in 3, and their status varies in the remaining countries.
- In France, embryo donation is regulated but double gamete donation is forbidden. Embryo donation requires consent from donors and is free, anonymous.
- Romania has no legislation regulating assisted reproduction techniques. Double donation procedures cannot be performed legally and patients seek care abroad.
- Interviews with 24 women who underwent double donation found most had success on the first attempt, and that lack of genetic
Anastasia Herman provides guidance within surrogacy program in Ukraine. If you have any question or seek help as legal as organizational contact us right now:
anastasiya.herman@gmail.com
www.anastasiaherman.com
This document provides a comparative analysis of double gamete and embryo donation regulations in Romania and France. It summarizes that:
1) Double gamete donation is not allowed in Romania but is allowed in France, while embryo donation is allowed in both countries.
2) French regulations for embryo donation require volunteering, being free of charge, and anonymity. It also provides 100% reimbursement for women under 43 and has success rates of 25% per transfer.
3) Romania has no ART laws regulating double donation or embryo donation. Patients seeking these options often go abroad for treatment.
4) Interviews with 24 women who underwent these procedures found most did so due to severe infertility in both partners or diminished egg reserve
The document outlines the legality of double gamete donation and embryo donation procedures in 21 European countries. It indicates that for most countries surveyed, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, double gamete donation is prohibited while embryo donation is allowed, with no existing legal regulations on these matters in some nations.
In Romania in 2011, over 3,500 couples received ART treatment through methods like IUI, IVF, and ICSI. Over 16,000 eggs were collected and over 10,000 embryos were created and transferred, resulting in over 900 clinical pregnancies and nearly 500 live births. Donated gametes and embryos were also used, with over 350 clinical pregnancies and births resulting from these treatments.
Anastasia Herman provides guidance within surrogacy program in Ukraine. If you have any question or seek help as legal as organizational contact us right now:
anastasiya.herman@gmail.com
www.anastasiaherman.com
This document provides a comparative analysis of double gamete and embryo donation regulations in Romania and France. It summarizes that:
1) Double gamete donation is not allowed in Romania but is allowed in France, while embryo donation is allowed in both countries.
2) French regulations for embryo donation require volunteering, being free of charge, and anonymity. It also provides 100% reimbursement for women under 43 and has success rates of 25% per transfer.
3) Romania has no ART laws regulating double donation or embryo donation. Patients seeking these options often go abroad for treatment.
4) Interviews with 24 women who underwent these procedures found most did so due to severe infertility in both partners or diminished egg reserve
The document outlines the legality of double gamete donation and embryo donation procedures in 21 European countries. It indicates that for most countries surveyed, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, double gamete donation is prohibited while embryo donation is allowed, with no existing legal regulations on these matters in some nations.
In Romania in 2011, over 3,500 couples received ART treatment through methods like IUI, IVF, and ICSI. Over 16,000 eggs were collected and over 10,000 embryos were created and transferred, resulting in over 900 clinical pregnancies and nearly 500 live births. Donated gametes and embryos were also used, with over 350 clinical pregnancies and births resulting from these treatments.
This document contains data from Romania on assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures in 2010. It provides information on the number of ART cycles, pregnancies, live births, and babies born from various ART procedures including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and procedures using donated sperm, eggs, or embryos. A total of 3,379 couples underwent ART treatments in 2010 resulting in 764 clinical pregnancies and 389 live births.
This study compared obstetric and neonatal outcomes between 76 women who conceived using donated oocytes, 150 women who conceived spontaneously, and 63 women who conceived using non-donor IVF. The study found that women who conceived using donated oocytes had higher rates of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, induction of labor, postpartum hemorrhage, and preterm birth compared to spontaneously conceiving women. Similar trends were observed when comparing women who conceived using donated oocytes to those using non-donor IVF, though some differences were not statistically significant. However, mean birth weight and length of term infants were similar between groups, and rates of congenital malformations did not differ.
Parents who have told their children about being conceived through embryo or double donation generally do so before age 3. They provide simple explanations about needing help from two kind people to make the child, and emphasize the positive role of medical professionals. However, most parents still worry about how their child may feel in the future about not having genetic ties or donor information. Parents who have not told also worry their child may feel negatively if they find out later. Support is needed for all parents on discussing implications sensitively at different ages.
Romania - European Fertility Week events 2016FertilityEurope
Within the European Fertility Week campaign, the SOS Infertility Association in Romania will conduct several advocacy and awareness efforts around infertility from October 31st to November 6th. The association will directly lobby government ministers to improve infertility coverage and treatment. They will encourage patients to write personalized letters calling for fair coverage of infertility drugs. Additionally, the association will run an online information campaign on social media to reduce stigma around infertility and increase understanding. This will include sharing stories of IVF success and answering questions in a live Facebook session. Finally, the association will hold local meetings on November 5th to distribute materials and advice on fertility options.
Berer manila presentation abortion in the criminal law 23 january 2014Lisa Hallgarten
The document summarizes a report on the criminalization of abortion in 24 countries. It finds that health professionals frequently report women who experience complications from unsafe abortion to the police. Women are then detained, prosecuted, and sometimes imprisoned. The report also describes how anti-abortion activists entrap abortion providers through false investigations. Overall, it concludes that the active criminalization of abortion violates women's rights and deters access to even legal abortion care.
Abortion in the criminal law Marge Berer presentation 23 january 2014Lisa Hallgarten
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This document discusses egg donation in Cyprus and the associated issues. It provides background on egg donation procedures and risks. Cyprus has become a hub for fertility tourism due to low costs, short wait times, and a large number of willing egg donors, many of whom are lower-income immigrants. However, the industry lacks regulation, raising health and ethical concerns. Donors may feel pressured and not fully understand risks. The document recommends improving regulation and transparency to better protect donors and minimize health inequalities between recipients and donors.
This document provides an overview of perinatal pathology, which involves post-mortem examinations on fetuses, stillborns, and infants who die in the neonatal period. Key points covered include the definition and rates of perinatal deaths, authority for perinatal examinations which varies between jurisdictions, the consent process, how examinations are performed including external assessment, internal examination of organs, histology, placental examination, and differences compared to adult post-mortems. Radiology, photography, organ weights, and additional samples taken are also discussed.
This document provides a brief history of IVF in Romania, highlighting several key points:
1) The first IVF baby in Romania, Daniel, was born in 1996, making Romania one of the later European countries to have a successful IVF birth.
2) Romania's first IVF clinic was established in 1995 in Timisoara with help from German doctors.
3) IVF development in Romania must be understood in the context of its economy, migration patterns, and role as an egg donation source for other countries like Israel.
4) There are now over 25 IVF clinics in Romania, though reporting of IVF cycle data is voluntary rather than through a national registry. IVF success rates
This document contains data from Romania on assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures in 2010. It provides information on the number of ART cycles, pregnancies, live births, and babies born from various ART procedures including intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and procedures using donated sperm, eggs, or embryos. A total of 3,379 couples underwent ART treatments in 2010 resulting in 764 clinical pregnancies and 389 live births.
This study compared obstetric and neonatal outcomes between 76 women who conceived using donated oocytes, 150 women who conceived spontaneously, and 63 women who conceived using non-donor IVF. The study found that women who conceived using donated oocytes had higher rates of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, cesarean delivery, induction of labor, postpartum hemorrhage, and preterm birth compared to spontaneously conceiving women. Similar trends were observed when comparing women who conceived using donated oocytes to those using non-donor IVF, though some differences were not statistically significant. However, mean birth weight and length of term infants were similar between groups, and rates of congenital malformations did not differ.
Parents who have told their children about being conceived through embryo or double donation generally do so before age 3. They provide simple explanations about needing help from two kind people to make the child, and emphasize the positive role of medical professionals. However, most parents still worry about how their child may feel in the future about not having genetic ties or donor information. Parents who have not told also worry their child may feel negatively if they find out later. Support is needed for all parents on discussing implications sensitively at different ages.
Romania - European Fertility Week events 2016FertilityEurope
Within the European Fertility Week campaign, the SOS Infertility Association in Romania will conduct several advocacy and awareness efforts around infertility from October 31st to November 6th. The association will directly lobby government ministers to improve infertility coverage and treatment. They will encourage patients to write personalized letters calling for fair coverage of infertility drugs. Additionally, the association will run an online information campaign on social media to reduce stigma around infertility and increase understanding. This will include sharing stories of IVF success and answering questions in a live Facebook session. Finally, the association will hold local meetings on November 5th to distribute materials and advice on fertility options.
Berer manila presentation abortion in the criminal law 23 january 2014Lisa Hallgarten
The document summarizes a report on the criminalization of abortion in 24 countries. It finds that health professionals frequently report women who experience complications from unsafe abortion to the police. Women are then detained, prosecuted, and sometimes imprisoned. The report also describes how anti-abortion activists entrap abortion providers through false investigations. Overall, it concludes that the active criminalization of abortion violates women's rights and deters access to even legal abortion care.
Abortion in the criminal law Marge Berer presentation 23 january 2014Lisa Hallgarten
There are few countries in the world where abortion isn't regulated by the criminal law. As a result doctors and women can be prosecuted for providing or having an abortion that is considered illegal. In this presentation, Marge Berer introduces a report which finds that all over the world women are in prison because they have had, or are suspected of having an illegal abortion. This is information that has not been captured before, and what has been shocking for many readers has been the role that health care professionals themselves have played in the arrest and prosecution of women who have sought medical help from them.
This document discusses egg donation in Cyprus and the associated issues. It provides background on egg donation procedures and risks. Cyprus has become a hub for fertility tourism due to low costs, short wait times, and a large number of willing egg donors, many of whom are lower-income immigrants. However, the industry lacks regulation, raising health and ethical concerns. Donors may feel pressured and not fully understand risks. The document recommends improving regulation and transparency to better protect donors and minimize health inequalities between recipients and donors.
This document provides an overview of perinatal pathology, which involves post-mortem examinations on fetuses, stillborns, and infants who die in the neonatal period. Key points covered include the definition and rates of perinatal deaths, authority for perinatal examinations which varies between jurisdictions, the consent process, how examinations are performed including external assessment, internal examination of organs, histology, placental examination, and differences compared to adult post-mortems. Radiology, photography, organ weights, and additional samples taken are also discussed.
This document provides a brief history of IVF in Romania, highlighting several key points:
1) The first IVF baby in Romania, Daniel, was born in 1996, making Romania one of the later European countries to have a successful IVF birth.
2) Romania's first IVF clinic was established in 1995 in Timisoara with help from German doctors.
3) IVF development in Romania must be understood in the context of its economy, migration patterns, and role as an egg donation source for other countries like Israel.
4) There are now over 25 IVF clinics in Romania, though reporting of IVF cycle data is voluntary rather than through a national registry. IVF success rates
This document provides a summary of the history of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Romania. It discusses key milestones such as the birth of Daniel, Romania's first IVF baby in 1996, over 20 years after the world's first IVF baby. It also examines the establishment of Romania's first IVF clinic in 1995. While noting Romania's repressive past reproductive policies, the summary argues that understanding IVF in Romania requires examining the interplay between IVF, migration, economics and egg donation. It provides statistics on the low success rates of IVF in Romania compared to surrounding countries like Ukraine and Hungary, despite Romania having more clinics, highlighting the need to consider factors like migration and the global egg donation market.
Female Genital Mutilation for Healthcare Professionalsmeducationdotnet
1. My first response would be to ensure the 6-year-old's immediate medical needs are addressed, contact child protective services, and seek guidance on next steps from social work and police regarding her safety and potential legal issues.
2. I would need to examine the child to assess for medical complications of FGM, contact on-call pediatrician for consult, and consider notifying authorities if FGM is identified given its illegality.
3. The child is at risk for infections, bleeding, pain, and long-term sexual and psychological issues from undergoing this traumatic procedure. Her well-being and protection from further harm is
The document discusses assisted reproduction and IVF tourism. It provides details on the history and process of IVF, costs varying by country, and Greece's liberal legislation which has made it a destination for IVF treatment. It notes Greece has approximately 49 IVF units, 1500 cycles per year domestically and 2000 from overseas, mainly due to lower costs and success rates. However, concerns are raised about unregulated clinics and lack of patient follow up.
The document discusses assisted reproduction and IVF tourism. It provides details on the history and process of IVF, costs varying by country, and Greece's liberal legislation which has made it a destination for cross-border fertility treatment. Key reasons for traveling abroad include avoiding legal restrictions in home countries, lower costs in Greece, and Greece allowing techniques like donor oocytes and surrogacy. However, there is a lack of oversight and patient follow up in Greece. The EU and organizations aim to standardize access and safety across countries.
Criminal abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy through illegal or unauthorized means. Methods include using abortifacient drugs to induce contractions, direct violence through blows or insertion of objects, or medical procedures performed outside of legal parameters. Signs of a recent abortion or miscarriage include vaginal bleeding and discharge, as well as examination findings of the cervix and uterus. Killing a newborn is a serious crime, and forensic evidence like umbilical cord analysis or lung floatation tests can indicate if a baby was born alive prior to death. Causes of newborn death include asphyxia, strangulation, head injuries, neglect, or bleeding.
This document provides an overview of defamation law in the UAE. It discusses how defamation is defined under UAE law as making a statement that could harm another person's reputation. Statements can be made in various forms, including verbally, in writing, or through images/videos online. The penalties for defamation include fines and imprisonment, depending on the nature of the statement. The document also notes the debate around balancing free expression rights with protection of reputation, especially regarding factually true statements.
Berer belfast presentation abortion internationally 14 february 2014Lisa Hallgarten
This document discusses abortion internationally, including its history, current laws and policies, services provided, and how the abortion pill is changing practices. Some key points:
- Abortion has long been part of controlling fertility and reproductive rights. Most countries have had abortion restrictions in criminal law since the 19th century.
- Where abortion is legalized, deaths are very low, making it one of the safest medical procedures. However, unsafe abortions still cause many deaths globally each year.
- There is a trend toward more liberal abortion laws and making it a normal part of women's healthcare. The abortion pill is changing practices by allowing earlier abortions outside hospitals and putting the process more in women's control.
This document discusses signs of recent and remote delivery in living and dead women, as well as various medico-legal aspects related to childbirth and pregnancy such as legitimacy, paternity, abortion, and prenatal sex determination. It provides details on the physical signs seen on examination of a woman after delivery, both immediately and over time. It also outlines Indian laws regarding medical termination of pregnancy, prenatal diagnostic techniques, and their legal implications.
This document summarizes abortion laws in different countries around the world. It finds that abortion is legal under varying circumstances in places like the UK, Finland, Iceland, Hungary, parts of Australia and Canada, while it is illegal or restricted in Ireland, Malta, the Philippines, parts of the US, Nigeria, Chile, El Salvador and the Vatican. The circumstances under which abortion is allowed or restricted varies widely between countries and sometimes within countries, but common exceptions include protecting the health or life of the mother, cases of rape or fetal abnormalities.
This document provides an overview of surrogacy in India, including:
1) It discusses the history of surrogacy and how it has evolved from traditional to gestational surrogacy.
2) It outlines the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Bill of 2010 in India, which aims to regulate surrogacy and provides guidelines around compensation, eligibility of surrogates and intended parents, and banning sex selection.
3) It summarizes two important court cases - Baby Manji Yamada v. Union of India and Jan Balaz v. Anand Municipality - that established surrogacy agreements as valid and highlighted issues around citizenship and identity not addressed in contracts.
SOCIO LEGAL ASPECTS OF SURROGACY IN INDIAKalpesh Gupta
This document provides an overview of surrogacy in India, including:
- A brief history of surrogacy and how it has evolved over time.
- Details on different types of surrogacy like gestational, traditional, altruistic, and commercial surrogacy.
- A discussion of surrogacy laws and practices in different countries.
- An explanation of India's Assisted Reproductive Technologies Bill of 2010, which aims to regulate surrogacy.
- Summaries of two important Indian court cases on surrogacy, Baby Manji Yamada v. Union of India and Jan Balaz v. Anand Municipality, which established surrogacy agreements as valid and highlighted
Pre conception and prenatal diagnostic techniquesDr. Preksha Jain
The Pre-Conception and Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques Act was enacted in 1994 to regulate prenatal diagnostic techniques and prohibit their misuse for sex determination. The Act defines key terms and places, establishes regulations for genetic counseling centers, clinics, and laboratories, and qualifications for professionals. It prohibits determining or disclosing the sex of the fetus. Violations are punishable by imprisonment and fines. The Act aims to prevent misuse of prenatal diagnosis and sex selection.
This document discusses barriers faced by rape survivors seeking abortions in India based on case studies of 74 women and girls. Many survivors were denied abortions or faced significant delays. Common barriers included providers requiring consent from husbands, insisting on D&C procedures requiring hospitalization, delaying abortions for supposed "medical reasons", and misinterpreting the law by denying abortions for marital rape survivors. These denials and delays inflicted enormous harm, such as forced continuation of unwanted pregnancies, health complications, and loss of confidentiality leading to social pressures. The document argues that India must hold healthcare providers accountable for ensuring timely abortion access per domestic laws.
Justifiable abortion (therapeutic abortion)Dr. FAIZ AHMAD
It is also called as therapeutic abortion or legal abortion
In 1970 the World Medical Association WMA) adopted a resolution
on therapeutic abortion, known as Declaration of Oslo
It is performed either in accordance with the legal provisions under
the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP Act 1971 (i e legal
abortion) or caused in good faith to save the life of the pregnant
woman
The SOS Infertility Association in Romania was founded in 2008 by women struggling with infertility and has since implemented numerous projects to support infertile couples and increase awareness of infertility issues. These projects include advocating for national and local IVF funding programs, offering free IVF procedures through their "A Chance for Life" project, publishing educational materials like a magazine and podcast, providing financial grants for IVF, organizing an annual awareness week, traveling exhibitions, support groups, online communities, and participating in numerous media appearances to destigmatize infertility. After over a decade of work, the Association has changed realities for infertility in Romania.
The document summarizes a fertility education magazine in Romania called "What do you know about YOUR FERTILITY?". It is a non-profit project run by the SOS Infertilitatea Association. The magazine contains educational articles on fertility topics and testimonials. It aims to provide couples information as they start their conception journey or deal with fertility issues. The magazine has a print run of 5,000 copies and is distributed for free throughout Romania.
This document introduces a new fertility education magazine in Romania published by the non-profit SOS Infertilitatea Association. The magazine aims to provide educational information about fertility to women aged 18-38 and their partners. It will contain articles about fertility topics, testimonials, and interviews in its 60 pages. The magazine will be freely distributed in hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices to reach its target audience and provide correct information about fertility.
This document discusses ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) based on data from 28 patients in Romania. It finds that most patients were not properly informed of OHSS risks prior to starting fertility treatments. Nearly half of patients reported not receiving adequate support from their clinics after developing OHSS symptoms. As a result, over 30% of patients who did not get pregnant decided to give up on further fertility treatments due to their traumatic OHSS experiences. The document concludes that while preventing OHSS is important, clinics must also ensure patients are well-informed of risks, can recognize symptoms early, and will receive support if OHSS develops.
This very short document is unintelligible as it only contains repeated gibberish text that does not form words or convey any meaning. It provides no information that can be summarized due to the lack of coherent content.
More from Asociatia SOS Infertilitatea - www.vremcopii.ro (20)
Presentation by Julie Topoleski, CBO’s Director of Labor, Income Security, and Long-Term Analysis, at the 16th Annual Meeting of the OECD Working Party of Parliamentary Budget Officials and Independent Fiscal Institutions.
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
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How To Cultivate Community Affinity Throughout The Generosity Journey
Helsinki English
1. Good day to everyone!
I am glad to have this opportunity to be in front of you and, given the very short time I have
at my disposal, I will cut to the chase and present the information. For the beginning, I start
by telling you that I will make an overview of the double gamete and embryo donation'
situation within 23 European countries, and then offer you details on the legal status in two
of these countries, namely Romania and France, and in the end of my presentation, I will
make several observations, based on the discussions held by me with 24 persons from
Romania and France, which had undergone double gamete and embryo donation
procedures.
I. With the support of my Fertility Europe colleagues I succeeded in creating a general
overview on the access to double gamete and embryo donation in 23 European countries.
I do not have the necessary time to emphasize strongly the data of these two info
graphics, but I kindly request you to look generally at them. By evaluating the data, we
note that in 13 countries of the above-mentioned 23's, both double gamete donation and
embryo donation are authorized. These procedures are not authorized in 3 countries
(Norway, Sweden and Malta), being clearly forbidden by law. In France, Germany and
Croatia, embryo donation is authorized but it is forbidden to use a donated spermatozoon
and a donated egg to create an embryo; quite the opposite, in Island, the double gamete
donation is allowed but the embryo donation is forbidden. In Turkey and Romania none of
these procedures are not legally regulated. There are various characteristics of some of
the countries included in this particular overview - for instance, in some of the countries
only the procedures with known donor are authorized, and in other countries the
procedures are legally regulated but, due to lack of donors, patients choose to go to clinics
from abroad etc.
II. After this general overview at European level, I invite you to pursue more in details the
situation within Romania and France; I selected these two countries because I hold the
citizenship of both of them and, due to the fact that I live and I am an active member of
association, I could easily find persons (doctors and patients) available to help me
understand better the phenomenon of conceiving by double gamete and embryo donation.
The situation between those two countries is very different, the only common ground of
France and Romania being the fact that people need to get cross-border fertility care.
A) It is clearly forbidden by law in France to conceive an embryo by a donated egg and a
donated spermatozoon, and thus I will detail some significant features from embryo
donation; this procedure is regulated by the French Bioethics Law of 1994, but the
decision of coming into force was signed only in 2000. More precisely, the first child born in
France, pursuant to a procedure of embryo donation, was Clara, born in 2004.
In France, there are three main legal principles to be followed for embryo donation:
− volunteering: in order to donate embryos, the two partners (even if those two are
separated) have to sign a written consent; in case if one of the partners dies, the
law allows to donate embryos only with the consent of the living partner;
− free of charge: the embryo donation is not subject of any type of financial
compensation;
− anonymity: the donating couple will not be able ever to know the identity of the
receiving couple, or the other way around. The child born pursuant to an embryo
donation procedure cannot know the identity of the donating couple.
As regards the anonymity, the French law stipulates that (article L2141-6 of Public Health
Code), in case if there is a health need of the child conceived by embryo donation, only a
2. doctor is allowed to have access to the medical file of the donating couple. This medical
data is kept for a minimum period of 40 years.
In France, the couples suffering from double infertility or holding the risk to pass a genetic
disease are allowed to go to embryo donation. The couple that wishes to undergo an
embryo donation procedure has to submit a request to a Court, but the couple doesn't
need to have the assistance of a lawyer for this legal procedure. Theoretically, the judge
can ask for a social investigation to take place to assess the family receiving the embryo.
Costs. If the woman is under 43, the legal age stipulated by French laws for IVF
reimbursement, all medical expenses related to the embryo donation procedure are
covered by social security.
Success Rate. The most recent statistics on embryo adoption which I found on the site of
Biomedicine Agency in France are from 2009, and indicate a success rate of 25% per
embryo transfer.
Currently, the number of couples in France willing of undergoing embryo donation is
notably higher to the number of donating couples, and this situation generates significant
times of waiting.
B) Opposite to France, Romania is one of the European country which doesn't have an
ART law. As of 2004 to nowadays, there were 6 attempts to pass a law in the assisted
reproduction's field, but without any concrete result. At the moment, there has been a draft
law debated as of 2013, at the Romanian Parliament, but the approval process has been
coming to a halt.
Although there is no specially dedicated ART law, there are some legal regulations
stipulated in the General Law of Health in Romania and in legal acts concerning human
cells and tissues. Thus, as regards gamete donation, the donation of eggs is performed
from a known donor, based on an authenticated act by a notary public; the donor and the
receiving party go in front of the public notary to sign an "authenticated written document",
after the donation had been approved by the approval commission of the living donor.
Nowadays, none of the ART clinics in Romania have sperm banks, for this type of
procedure the genetic material is imported mainly from Denmark. But, I point out that
neither double donation of gamete nor embryo donation are regulated in Romania. Based
on the discussions had with several doctors in Romania, the conclusion emerged is that in
Romania there is a legislative void, and these procedures cannot be performed in the
Romanian clinics. At least one of the ART centers of Bucharest addressed in the past,
based on the request of the patients, the National Agency of Transplant to request
instructions for potential embryo donation procedures, but this authority hasn't ever come
with an answer. Therefore, the couples in need of double gamete or embryo donation are
guided by Romanian doctors to look for solutions outside of the Romanian borders.
III. In order to conduct the research for this presentation I asked for testimonials from
couples in France and Romania. Subsequently, I communicated by emails, instant
messages or by phone with 24 women: 16 women from Romania, and 8 from France. The
sample is not sociologically representative and I didn't do a scientific research, but I grant
myself to show you some of the conclusions obtained following the discussions, which I
found very interesting, without being, I repeat, representative from a statistics point of view.
Therefore, from 24 subjects with whom I communicated, 21 are women in a stable couple
3. with the father of the child, and 3 of them are single mothers. It was only the women who
gave the testimonials, even though I invited each time both partners. Their children are
between 2 months and 6 years old.
As of these 24 women / couples, 15 had conceived following a procedure of donated
gametes, and 9 of them had undertaken an embryo adoption.
14 of these women managed to obtain a pregnancy and get birth to a child after the first
attempt, 9 of them after the second attemppt, and one of the women succeeded in the
third attempt.
As regards the reason why they went to double gamete or embryo donation:
− 13 of the couples suffered from severe infertility in the case of both partners
(confirmed by previous attempts with their own gametes, without any result),
− 3 of the subjects were women with an egg reserve which was severely diminished,
and without having a stable partner (two of them had in the past undertaken
chemotherapy),
− for other 3 couples there were confirmed genetic issues, which led to the medical
recommendation to go for this type of procedure,
− in 5 cases, just one of the partners (more precisely, the woman) was suffering from
a certified severe infertility, namely very poor egg reserve. In this category, the
reason why the couple chose to undergo embryo adoption was the financial reason
in the case of 4 (the cost being of about EUR 1,700 for the transfer of two donated
embryos and the need of staying for 1-2 days in the country where the clinic was
located, in exchange of about EUR 5,000 for the egg donation procedure and a
one-week or more stay in the country where the clinic is located); all these four
couples who indicated the financial factor as main reason for taking the decision
and go for embryo adoption instead of IVF with egg donation are from Romania.
One of these couples indicated that the main reason of choosing embryo adoption
and not egg donation, although the man was theoretically fertile, the results of his
sperm test showing normospermia, was the couple's mandatory feeling to be on
equal level, from a genetic point of view, as regards the child.
As regards the location of fertility centres where the procedures took places, in 23 of
those 24 cases was about cross-border fertility care. Therefore, 6 of 8 subjects from
France did double gametes donation procedure in Spain, and 3 of 16 couples from
Romania did double gametes donation procedure in Greece, and the other 13 chose
clinics located in the Czech Republic. Two of the France-based couples opted for embryo
adoption, one couple from Spain (time of waiting: 3 months), and the other couple from
France (time of waiting: two years and four months).
In conclusion, I will not summarize the information already presented to you above.
Instead, I will show you a chart with the answers offered by the couples whom I'd talked to
in order to elaborate this presentation. When I asked them to tick, in a written anonymous
questionnaire, the answer to the question: "At this moment in time, in your daily life, the
fact that you do not have any genetic connection to your child is: 1) not important at all, 2)
more or less important, 3) important, 4) very important”, all 24 interviewed mothers opted
to tick the option no. 1: a "not important at all” fact.
Thank you for your attention!