Most women opt for IVF for the sake of their own genetic offspring, but egg donation always remains an option if the IVF is unsuccessful.
Donors are usually young women between the ages of 20 and 30 with healthy habits and a commitment to helping other women. While some believe the compensation these women receive is unethical because it might cause them to overlook the risks, most agencies merely compensate them for their time and travelling expenses, considering that donors have to take hours off work to see the doctor and they have to travel to and from the clinic on numerous occasions.

The success rate of the egg donation procedure depends on many factors, but at 60-70% it is markedly higher than a single IVF cycle (35%). The price difference between the two ranges around R10 000, with IVF being the cheaper of the two. But the cumulative pregnancy rate of three IVF cycles are needed to equal the success rate of one egg donation cycle.

The success of any in-vitro fertilization procedure depends largely on the age of the woman’s eggs. After 30 years of age, the quality of a woman’s eggs decrease rapidly and with women having babies later in life, egg donation has become an answer to the question: How can I have it all?
Egg donation is a relatively new procedure with the first egg donation procedure having been performed in South Africa in 1986 by Dr. Wiswedel from the Cape Fertility Clinic.

Young men and women are most at risk for picking up an STD that might ruin their chances of having children later in life! Early detection and treatment, along with safe sexual habits, are very important to prevent problems later on. But rest assured, there is always hope for a baby through IVF and egg donation.
The diagnosis happens on a basis of personal history and physical findings, but urine and blood tests may also be needed to pinpoint the nature of the infection. Taking care of the sensitive mechanisms in the testicles are of prime importance, so reduce physical activity, use ice packs gently to reduce the inflammation, elevate and support the scrotum on a soft pad while resting in bed. In addition, treat the condition with a course of antibiotics, followed as per the doctor’s instructions.

The infection may eventually cause an abscess where the infected tissue in the scrotum fills with pus, chronic epididymitis which can occur when untreated acute epididymitis leads to recurrent episodes, shrinkage of the affected testicle and reduced fertility.
For young men, there is a direct link between epididymitis and sexually transmitted diseases. A recent British study found that out of young men who were diagnosed with acute epididymitis, up to 80% of their partners tested positive for chlamydia. Both partners need to be treated to get rid of the condition permanently. Young men are at a higher risk for epididymitis from STDs because they engage in high-risk sexual behaviours, such as having multiple partners, having unprotected sex or having sex with a partner with an STD. The risk is also higher if you’ve had an STD in the past.

If you experience any of these symptoms, see a doctor or healthcare professional immediately. Never ignore scrotal pain or swelling because a number of conditions can cause testicular pain and if left untreated, some of these conditions can cause permanent damage. Testicular torsion, caused by a twisted spermatic cord, can cause pain similar to that of epididymitis, but it requires emergency treatment because it blocks blood flow to the testicle.

Epididymitis is an infection of the epididymis and symptoms usually include a tender, swollen, red or warm scrotum, testicle pain and tenderness (usually on one side), pain during urination, sexual intercourse and bowel movements. The sufferer could also have a fever, chills, a lump on the testicle, enlarged lymph nodes, a discharge from the penis or blood in the semen.
The epididymes (greek for “upon the twins”) are the long, tightly coiled tubes that are located behind each testicle. If each testicle is rolled gently between the fingers and thumb, the epididymes can be felt on top of the testicle as a comma-shaped lump. When sperm are made, they enter the epididymis and are stored while they mature. They need the extra time to develop before they set out on the competitive race for the egg.

Since most men get symptoms soon after exposure to an STD, they usually get treated quickly and before any permanent damage has been caused. Even if there aren’t visible symptoms, regular testing should be performed. Every year, thousands of men develop epididymitis, a condition that causes inflammation in one of the vessels that carries semen from the testicles. This inflammation can block these vessels and cause male infertility.

One in 8 couples experience infertility: they’ve been trying for more than a year with no results. Infertility can be caused by many different conditions and the blame falls evenly between the sexes. Forty percent of infertility factors are female, another forty percent are male and the last twenty percent is a mixture of the two.
PID displays symptoms like lower abdominal pain, fever, a discharge are normally present. A healthcare professional will perform laboratory tests to detect infectious processes in the body and in the pelvis. PID is treated with antibiotics to clear up the infection, but if it has been present for a long time, there will be permanent damage to the pelvic organs, especially the fallopian tubes.

“People might mistake it for a gall bladder infection and then they don’t do any further investigations and just treat with antibiotics, which will help with the Chlamydia. Only if you check antibodies for Chlamydia will you find out that somewhere in the past there was a Chlamydia infection,” says Dr. Wiswedel. While the infection may have been treated, the damage has already been done in the pelvis without anyone having a clue.
Because up to 80% of women don’t show symptoms when they have an STD, it is recommended that regular testing becomes part of routine healthcare. Chlamydia, one of the leading causes of PID, is especially hard to diagnose because it usually manifests as upper abdominal pain and is easily mistaken for another infection.

The cost of three IVF cycles is considerably more than one egg donor cycle. One IVF cycle is about 25% less than an egg donation procedure, but three IVF cycles are needed to equal the 70% success rate of an egg donation. Simply put, it can cost around R40 000 - R60 000 more to do three IVF cycles than it would cost to do one egg donor cycle, with their success rates being equal.
While IVF is mostly used in cases of blocked tubes, egg donation is also an option. Instead of using her own eggs, the woman will then use a younger donor’s eggs to become pregnant. Most women opt to try with their own eggs first, in a bid to have their own biological children, but the success rate for three IVFs equals the success rate of one egg donation. A woman’s fertility is directly linked to her age and for this reason, a younger woman’s eggs have a higher success rate.

The pregnancy rate of IVF treatments are so good that the tubal surgery isn’t needed anymore. IVF bypasses the fallopian tubes completely by implanting fertilized embryos directly into the uterus. “There is still a danger of having an ectopic pregnancy because the embryo can be flushed into the tubes by the currents inside the uterus,” says Dr. Wiswedel. “As a result, half a percent of IVF pregnancies will turn out as an ectopic.”
When PID has caused a blockage in the fallopian tubes, the only viable option to get pregnant is with the help of a fertility specialist. According to Dr. Wiswedel, “tubal surgery has been abandoned largely since about 15 to 20 years because the results are so poor.” The best prognosis for tubal surgery is a 60% chance of success if there was only mild damage. The success of the surgery can only be determined one or two years afterwards and in no way is it guaranteed.

If the fallopian tube can’t do its work properly, the sperm won’t be able to reach the egg to fertilize it. If it succeeds despite blocked tubes, the embryo could get stuck in the fallopian tube, causing an ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy is relatively common, but it is fatal to the fetus “because the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube and usually, the doctors take the fallopian tube out,” says Dr. Wiswedel from the Cape Fertility Clinic. “You cannot re-implant the baby somewhere else.”
PID is an infection which often leads to blocked fallopian tubes. In a woman’s anatomy, the fallopian tube carries the fertile egg from the ovary down the tube where it is fertilized with sperm. Once the embryo is formed, the tube moves it down to the uterus where it is implanted in the wall of the uterus.
In fact, 25% of infertility cases in South Africa are linked to STDs. Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia are often found together and while Gonorrhoea isn’t very prevalent among the higher classes anymore, girls between 15 to 25 are the most susceptible to these diseases. If left untreated, both of these STDs can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID).


She met her current husband in church and they quickly became friends. He is aware of her background and has accepted and forgiven her, but when they struggled to get pregnant, Amy started suspecting that her previous lifestyle may have left some permanent marks on her life.
Amy is terrified: she led a very risky life when she was a teenager. She fell pregnant after her first sexual encounter. Scared that her parents will find out, 15-year-old Amy got rid of the baby. Deep in despair, she fell for a bad guy who insisted on unprotected sex. Ten years later, Amy had received  treatment for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Hepatitis. When a friend took her to church in her late twenties, she immediately decided to follow the faith.

Amy* walked into the clinic, clutching her purse close to her slim body. She and her husband are having trouble getting pregnant. After a year of trying without any positive results, she was directed to a private fertility clinic where they could find out why they can’t have a baby.

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