Cofertility Donor Egg Options for Canadians

If you are a Canadian family looking for donor eggs you’ve come to the right place. At Cofertility, we can and do work with Canadian families on their donor egg journey. In this article, we’ll answer all your questions about matching with an egg donor through our platform. 

What is donor egg IVF? Egg donation is a process where a woman, known as the egg donor, donates her eggs to another family that cannot otherwise conceive. The eggs are fertilized with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor, and the resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus of the intended mother or a gestational carrier. More and more families are seeking to build their families through donor eggs, and we’re here to help.

Donor egg laws in Canada

In Canada, egg donation is a regulated process that is governed by both federal and provincial laws. Under the federal Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Act, it is a crime to purchase or sell eggs or sperm in Canada. This means that donors cannot be paid for their eggs, and intended families cannot “buy” eggs from donors. Only truly altruistic donation is allowed, though donors can be reimbursed for reasonable expenses related to the donation process, such as travel costs or time off work.

In the US, compensated egg donation is legal and regulated, but many intended parents still report that they’re unable to find a donor who they’re excited about matching with. With Cofertility’s model, donors are not offered cash compensation. Instead, donors undergo a retrieval with medical costs reimbursed by the intended parents and in return, the donor gets to keep half of the eggs retrieved. This egg sharing model allows us to recruit diverse, accomplished women who are excited about helping your family grow today. 

Egg donor anonymity laws in Canada

In Canada, like the US, egg donation can be known or anonymous. However, in cases of anonymous donation, the donor-conceived person does not have the right to know the identity of the donor. 

At Cofertility, we don’t believe in anonymous donation. Our families and donors can choose whether their donation is disclosed or undisclosed. Both disclosed and undisclosed donations come with their own set of implications. Our donors even have their disclosure preference listed in their profile so you know ahead of time what they’re looking for and you can filter your options based on this criteria. 

• An undisclosed donation is one where you do not exchange contact information. Although you will have access to photos and other demographic information about the donor, you will only communicate through Cofertility.
• A disclosed donation is one where you and your donor exchange contact information and communicate directly. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have a close relationship with the donor, perhaps you email once a year around the holidays. But this option keeps the door open for your child to more easily reach out to the donor with questions as they get older. 

A major benefit of disclosed donation is that you may potentially get more information about your donor’s genetics and family of origin. Another advantage is the ability to provide information to your child. Experts agree that being honest with your child about their conception, and normalizing it early on is best. 

Read Undisclosed vs. Anonymous Egg Donation: What’s the Difference?

The rights of intended parents via donor eggs 

When it comes to legal rights and responsibilities, the intended parents are considered the legal owners of the donated eggs and will have sole right and full decision-making authority to determine what happens to those eggs, embryos, and any future children. The egg donor has no legal rights or responsibilities towards any children born from the eggs that she donated.

We support our families and donors through a rigorous legal process to ensure the contract is sound. If you don’t have a lawyer, we have a roster of trusted lawyers who specialize in third-party reproduction, including lawyers licensed in both the US and Canada. 

It’s also worth noting that countries vary with respect to how they recognize parentage and/or citizenship, particularly in cases that involve a surrogate. You will need to conform with any local laws with respect to birth registration, especially if the embryos made are eventually transferred to a surrogate. If you have any questions, we recommend you consult with a  lawyer in Canada who can advise of any relevant restrictions or laws. 

Should I work with a Canadian or US fertility clinic?

When you match with a Cofertility donor, the embryo creation process must take place in the US. We can work with your existing clinic in Canada to ensure that they have all necessary reports to confirm acceptance of the frozen embryos. We also have trusted gamete transportation partners who can ship embryos between clinics globally. 

Read 35 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Using Donor Eggs

The donor egg IVF process for families in Canada

We have hundreds of pre-qualified donors ready to match with your family. Here’s what you can expect the process to look like:

1. Create a free account. Fill out our form to share about your family and what you’re looking for in a donor. It just takes a few minutes.
2. Use filters to browse hundreds of donors. You can search for donors by education level, race and ethnicity, hair color, eye color, and more. 
3. Hold a match. Once you find the perfect donor, you can place a hold on that match so she is not matched with other families. During this time, your doctor can review her records to make sure she’s a fit. If you don’t have a clinic, that’s not a problem. We can match you with one of our many partner clinics across the country. 
4. Legal. Once the doctor gives the go-ahead, it’s time to start and complete the legal contract.
5. Egg retrieval cycle. Donors can either cycle at a clinic near them and have the eggs shipped to your clinic, OR can travel to another US-based clinic of your choice for  the egg retrieval. This will be decided upon the match.
6. Fertilization. Half of the eggs retrieved are fertilized with sperm from the intended father or a sperm donor. The other half is sent to storage for the donor to use when she’s ready to start her family.
7. Embryo transfer. The resulting embryos are then transferred to the uterus of the intended mother or gestational carrier. Your transfer can take place in the US or Canada. 
8. Get support for life. After you bring home your baby, continue to enjoy our resources — educational materials, support systems, and more — for life.

Egg donation is a complex process that requires careful consideration and planning. Our team of experienced professionals will ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. 

Why Cofertility

If you're looking for an egg donor — either due to infertility, cancer, a genetic condition, or not having eggs (hi, gay dads!) — you may already feel like the odds are stacked against you. The last thing you need is to feel like you’re “shopping” for a human who plays a critical role in your family-building journey. And we’ll never make it feel that way.

Cofertility is committed to providing the highest level of care and support to our families and donors. We thoroughly screen and counsel all of our egg donors to ensure that they are physically and emotionally prepared for the donation process. Our donors come from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and professions. And fun fact: the majority of our donors have a graduate degree! 

We understand that the process of building a family can be overwhelming, and we are here to guide you every step of the way. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please don't hesitate to contact us.