Egg and sperm donation programs across the USA

By (embryologist) and (fertility counselor).
Last Update: 10/06/2015

The United States of America is a large country divided into 50 states. Within each state, legislations governing assisted reproductive technology (ART) are independent from one another, which means there are no general rules across the USA regarding fertility treatments, but each state counts on its own normative.

For the afore mentioned reason, if the USA is the destination you have chosen for performing a fertility treatment, it is important to know which specific aspects are to be taken into consideration depending on the particular state you are about to select.

Such decision should be reached from a medical point of view, although it is also important to bear in mind the social, cultural, and leisure options available in the place we are staying at, since it is likely that your stay has to be extended depending on the particular indications for your treatment.

Given that around 465 fertility clinics can be found throughout the country, making up your mind when it comes to choose the destination is not easy.

Fertility treatments available in the US

Even though fertility treatments are generally performed nationwide, egg donation and sperm donation processes are not allowed in every state. In addition, the experience gained on this field is not equal in all centers.

  • States whose regulations make provision for both egg and sperm donation: Alabama, Delaware, New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
  • States where only sperm donation is addressed, i.e. egg donation is excluded: Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin.
  • States whose legislation excludes egg donation: Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia.
  • States where no legislation regarding ART exists: Arizona.
  • States whose legislation addresses egg donation in terms of insurance coverage: Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland.

Top tourist destination cities in the US

California is one of the most common destinations within the US, especially San Francisco and Los Angeles, considered to be most popular Californian cities worldwide. According to Californian law, egg and sperm donation, as well as surrogacy, are allowed for everyone, no matter the kind of family. In fact, California is one of the most common fertility destinations. For this reason, there you will find some of the US most important sperm banks.

New York is probably the second destination counting on a large number of tourists every year. Apart from that, it is one of the most popular states to undergo fertility treatments. Its popularity is not only due to the fact that gamete donation is allowed statewide, but also because its regulations indicate that the egg donor is fully exempted from any responsibility of motherhood.

Also included within the top 10 tourist destination cities in the US, we can find Colorado, mainly because of its impressive rocky mountains. Regulations governing ART within this state place particular emphasis in the fact that every woman getting started in an IVF cycle using donor eggs will be considered to be the natural mother of the newborn. Besides, if she’s married, her husband will be the child’s father.

Jacksonville, Miami, and Orlando are the most visited cities in Florida. As for egg donation, rules and regulations in this field show that in case both the husband and the wife have a written consent proving they have undergone an IVF cycle with donor eggs to be on parenthood, the child will be legally considered to be theirs.

The following are some other cities also popular because of its main tourist attractions as well as for its experience and efficiency in the fields of assisted reproductive technology and gamete donation: Connecticut, Virginia, Nevada, Chicago (Illinois), New Hampshire, Oregon and St. Louis (Missouri).

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Authors and contributors

 Andrea Rodrigo
Andrea Rodrigo
B.Sc., M.Sc.
Embryologist
Bachelor's Degree in Biotechnology from the Polytechnic University of Valencia. Master's Degree in Biotechnology of Human Assisted Reproduction from the University of Valencia along with the Valencian Infertility Institute (IVI). Postgraduate course in Medical Genetics. More information about Andrea Rodrigo
 Sandra Fernández
Sandra Fernández
B.A., M.A.
Fertility Counselor
Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpreting (English, Spanish, Catalan, German) from the University of Valencia (UV) and Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton Campus (Edinburgh, UK). Postgraduate Course in Legal Translation from the University of Valencia. Specialist in Medical Translation, with several years of experience in the field of Assisted Reproduction. More information about Sandra Fernández

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