Sperm and Egg Donors

Gamete donation in Spain is anonymous, in the case of preferring known or non-anonymous donors the treatment must be carried in one of the clinics with which Institut Marqués collaborates.

If you prefer to use an anonymous donor, you can either do your treatment at Institut Marquès Barcelona or benefit from our Remote Egg Donation programme without the need of travelling abroad.

What principles rule sperm and egg donation in Spain?

Law 14/2006 on Assisted Reproduction Techniques defines gamete and embryo donation as a free, formal, and confidential contract between the donor and the centre, that must be ratified formally on paper, after having informed the donors about the purpose and consequences of their action.

By law, donors must be in full possession of their abilities and count with good phsyco-physical health.

Gamete donation is done in accordance with the basic principles of anonymity and altruism. Henceforth, the patient cannot choose nor propose her own donors as the anonymity principle would be broken. Only in female couples undergoing the Shared Motherhood technique can one receive the eggs of the other.

How do we select sperm donors?

At Institut Marquès we have our own Premium Sperm Bank and vast experience in donor selection. The donor is personally chosen by the doctor to guarantee the most suitable for each patient. The matching process takes into account both the blood group and the RH as well as the physical features of future parents (eye, hair and skin color, etc …). Donors undergo a thorough sociological and psychological assessment and a full medical check-up and blood works, including the study of their karyotype, several tests to rule out infectious diseases and specific tests to rule out the most frequent mutations in the European population. They also perform blood tests that are repeated periodically to detect sexually transmitted diseases. Moreover, the family medical history is reviewed to discard possible genetic illnesses. Finally, they undergo tests to rule out any chromosomal abnormalities in the ejaculated sample (FISH in sperm) and to detect the 50 most common cystic fibrosis mutations. According to Spanish legislation, semen donors must be between 18 and 50 years old.

How do we select egg donors?

By law, female donors must be over age 18 and under 35.

As with sperm donors, egg donor selection is based on their blood group, Rh, and physical traits, seeking for a resemblance between the donor and recipient couple. Institut Marquès counts with donors of all phenotypes. They are young and healthy women who wish to help other women become mothers. They undergo medical and gynecological check-ups, take a complete blood test including psychological tests, study of the karyotype, tests to discard infectious diseases, and specific tests to discard the most frequent mutations within the European population causing cystic fibrosis.

Is it possible to undergo treatment with an identifiable donor?

Gamete donation in Spain is anonymous, in the case of preferring known or non-anonymous donors the treatment must be carried in one of the clinics with which Institut Marqués collaborates. Get more information here.