National Gamete Donation Trust launched

The National Gamete Donation Trust (NGDT), a new charity that aims to address the national shortage of sperm, egg and embryo donors, was launched last Thursday. A newly-published report accompanied the launch. 'This report highlights the acute shortage of egg donors in particular but also the need for more sperm donors' said Judy Callman, head of the NGDT.

The report, based on research carried out by a team at City University London, found that 87 per cent of the UK's 55 fertility clinics have difficulty in obtaining an adequate supply of eggs. For some women, including those who have undergone an early menopause, egg donation is the only way of achieving a pregnancy. But couples requiring donated eggs for fertility treatment face a waiting list of up to three years per attempt. Although only seven per cent of fertility clinics reported a shortage of sperm donors, there is a severe shortage of donors from certain ethnic groups, particularly Asian. NGDT board member Brian Lieberman also highlighted the need for more donations from older men who have already fathered children.

Speaking at the launch, fertility pioneer Robert Edwards called for payment of egg and sperm donors to increase supply. Currently, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) rule that egg and sperm donors can receive up to £15 for their donation. Mr Edwards also said that infertility treatment should be free to couples in the UK, as it is in France, Belgium and Germany. The NGDT report stressed the need for publicity 'to raise awareness among the general public of the need for donors and to remove some of the stigma attached to donation'.