Embryo donation can give you the opportunity to experience parenthood.
Understanding embryo donation success rates can help you determine if it’s right for your circumstances. By learning what factors contribute to the success of embryo donation, you can better prepare for what lies ahead, improving your chances of a positive outcome.
If you need to find a fertility clinic or embryo donation program where you can get donated embryos, we can connect you with professionals near you when you fill out our online contact form. If you want to learn more about embryo transfer success rates, check out this article.
This article will break down what goes into success with embryo donation; from the specific rates to the alternative options it gives you to grow your family.
What Is the Success Rate for Embryo Donation?
Donated embryo success rates depend on:
- Embryo quality
- Recipients health
- Clinic and technologies used
Looking at the most recent results from nationally published reports, the embryo donation success rates hover right below 45%.
In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a 2016 national summary report on assisted reproductive technology (ART) that put the percentage of transfers for embryo donation success, or those resulting in live births, at 43%.
The National Library of Medicine published this report in 2022 that looked at embryo donation, its national trends and its outcomes from 2004-2019.
When looking specifically at the recipients of donated embryos and the outcomes of frozen embryo donation success rates from 2016-19, that report found the live birth rate to be 44%.
The CDC released this most recent national summary report in 2023 that looked at assisted reproductive technology in 2021 and pregnancy success rates for ART fertility clinics in the U.S.
42.3% of donated embryos resulted in live-birth deliveries.
What Affects Embryo Donation IVF Success Rates?
Success with donated embryos is successful because of the parameters for anybody wanting to donate extra or unused embryos.
When it comes to donated embryos success rate being slightly higher than other options, that’s thanks to:
Donor Screening
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a strict set of rules for testing anyone wishing to donate eggs, sperm and/or embryos.
This includes infectious disease testing and genetic carrier screening in addition to providing a detailed medical history with a review of those records.
Donor Requirements
Embryo donation success also comes from the embryo donor meeting the necessary requirements to ensure they are making the right choice.
This includes things like counseling sessions to deal with potential outcomes if there is success with their embryo donation and legal agreements from third-party reproductive attorneys that address:
Relinquishing the rights of the donor(s) to the embryo(s) and any child or children that may result from the transfer of such embryo(s). Recognition of inadvertent loss or damage to the embryo(s). The right to practice refusal of transfer to an inappropriate recipient. The time period for which donated embryos will be maintained in cryostorage and alternatives for their disposition thereafter. Jurisdiction and process for medical/legal procedures and/or dispute resolution. Possibility that the embryos will not be selected by potential recipients and that practices can then choose an alternative disposition, such as discarding the embryos.
Embryo Donation Success Rates and Surrogacy
No matter what your reason may be for learning more about embryo donation, using donor embryos and a surrogate is a way to grow your family if you are:
- A couple with female or male infertility
- A single parent
- Part of the LGBTQ+ community
- Not wanting to pass on genetic or medical conditions
You could be learning about all the options to grow your family at the start of your journey, or you may be a few IVF cycles in wondering what else you can do.
No matter where you are in the process, choosing embryo donation and surrogacy can lead to success with donated embryos that result in you welcoming a new member of the family.
If you’re at the start of the process, here’s what you need to know about surrogacy with donated embryos. If you already have embryos ready to go, we can help you find a surrogate in as little as 1-6 months.
Get the Support You Deserve
If you want to know about embryo donation success, IVF may not be working for you for a number of reasons.
No matter what your reason is, take however much time you need to process where you’re at while learning about your options.
Scheduling an appointment with your doctor can help you get to the bottom of your infertility issues
There’s also counseling available that specifically deals with infertility along with other peer support groups that exist online and in person.
Here are some resources you can utilize in the short term:
Infertility Counseling
Infertility Support Groups
Contact us online to learn more about surrogacy and how it could be your opportunity to grow your family and experience what it’s like to be a parent. If you already have donor embryos, you are one step closer to growing your family.