Michelle Lorraine Embleton, biochemist at inviTRA, tells us on this video about the legal aspects of donating your eggs to your partner for reciprocal IVF and ensuring that both women are recognised as the legal parents. As Michelle explains:
The legal aspects of reciprocal IVF depend on the country. In the UK and Spain, egg donation is an anonymous and altruistic process, and as such you cannot choose to donate your egg to your partner. However, if youa re legally married or in a legally binding relationship, it is allowed. For example, in Spain if you are legally married you can donate your eggs to your partner for reciprocal IVF. If you are not married it may be worth seekign legal advice.
In the United States donation is freley available and you can choose your egg donor. Having said this, always take legal advice to make sure that both the women will become the legal parents of any children born from the process. In the UK, both women will be recognized as the legal parents, even if not married, as long as the procedure takes place in a licenced clinic.
Another legal aspect to consider is if you decide to perform a "home" artificial insemination procedure, and not with a fertility clinic. In this case, it is important to be aware that only the borth mother will be legally recognised and the other parent may have to adopt the baby to become a legal parent.
