Egg donation

An egg donor undergoes ovarian stimulation and egg collection. The donated eggs are fertilised with sperm to create embryos. The donor is genetically connected to any child created from her eggs, but she does not carry the pregnancy.

Gestational surrogacy

A gestational surrogate carries an embryo created using eggs and sperm from other people. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is not genetically related to the baby she carries.

Why people confuse them

Both may be part of third-party reproduction and both involve someone helping another person or couple build a family. Their medical processes, time commitments and legal implications are very different.

Can they be used together?

Yes. For example, male same-sex couples may use donor eggs to create embryos and a gestational surrogate to carry the pregnancy. A woman who cannot use her own eggs and also cannot safely carry a pregnancy may also need both.

The commitment is different

Egg donation usually involves weeks of screening, stimulation, monitoring and retrieval. Surrogacy involves embryo transfer, pregnancy and birth, with a much longer physical and emotional commitment.

Legal advice matters

Parentage, donor identity, consent and surrogacy law vary significantly by country. Anyone considering either route should receive advice appropriate to the country where treatment and birth will take place.

Oocyt perspective

Third-party reproduction works best when every person involved is treated as a participant with rights, boundaries and emotional needs rather than simply as a means to a pregnancy.