Surrogacy with Egg Donation Program in Georgia

Surrogacy is a form of third-party reproduction method where a woman agrees to carry and deliver a child for a couple or an individual who cannot conceive for one reason or another. 

Surrogacy agreements are usually complicated and not straightforward. They usually require a signed contract between the surrogate and the intended parents. Even with all the complications and demands of surrogacy, it is still considered worthwhile by couples and individuals as it affords people who had no hope of having their biological child a chance to build their family. Surrogacy has been practiced for thousands of years. But while the topic was not always viewed favorably, with the evolving technology and advances that have been made, the taboo subject is gradually becoming a very highly regarded option in family building.

What are the types of surrogacy?   

There are two generally recognized types of surrogacy: traditional and gestational surrogacy. Other forms of surrogacy can fall under any of the two categories.

• Traditional surrogacy – Here, the surrogate is also the egg donor, which means she has a biological relationship with the child that she is carrying. She is the biological mother of the child. The embryos are created using the sperm from the intended father or a donor through intrauterine insemination. This type of surrogacy can also be referred to as genetic surrogacy or full surrogacy. Since traditional surrogacy can be complicated both legally and emotionally, it is presently the less popular and less common form of surrogacy.
• Gestational surrogacy – this can be referred to as host surrogacy or partial surrogacy. It is the most common type of surrogacy that is practiced today, in fact, most surrogacy agencies only agree to the gestational type of surrogacy. In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate mother is not genetically related to the child they are carrying. The embryo is created in the lab using IVF. The embryo is created from either an egg from the intended mother or a donated egg, while the sperm is also either from the intended father or a donated sperm. After a few days of growing the embryo, it is transferred to the womb of the surrogate mother who then carries the pregnancy to term and delivers the child.

Surrogacy and egg donation in Georgia 

Georgia has benefited from an increase in investments in their healthcare. This has led to an increase in the number and sophistication of clinics and medical centers. This had partly led to the increase in the number of medical tourists, making the country one of the leading places for medical tourism in the world, especially their capital Tbilisi. 

In Vitro Fertilization and surrogacy are highly sought-after services in Georgia as they help couples or individuals who are trying to have children. Georgia legalized surrogacy, IVF, and gamete donation in 1997. This has made Georgia to be a popular place for couples all over the world who are seeking IVF and surrogacy services. Commercial surrogacy or gestational surrogacy is lawful and permitted in Georgia, the law even assumes that a surrogate mother does not have any parental rights to the child she gave birth to. They put the intended parent’s names on the child’s birth certificate right after delivery with or without the consent of the surrogate mother. 

Gamete donation, that is egg and sperm donation, is also permitted in Georgia. It is even allowed for the intended parents to meet the egg donor personally as Georgia is the only country in the world that allows the non-anonymous donation of eggs. Also, a contract presided over by a notary sets the terms and obligations of the donor and the intended parents before the start of any medical procedure or treatment. This is done so that the intended parents can be sure that the selected donor provides the agreed gamete, and will not later have any claims to the produced offspring. Another major advantage of Georgian legislation is that it can grant Georgian citizenship to children who could not otherwise obtain citizenship in their parent’s country of origin. This can be helpful, especially to parents that have a lot of complications with their consulates.

What is guaranteed egg donation?

The choice of an egg donor is not a straightforward process. It is an emotional one and often not just an overlooked part of the surrogacy process. It is a huge decision that can often impact the future of the baby and the immediate family of the parents. There are programs by fertility agencies in Georgia that help the intended parents in getting through this part of the surrogacy journey. They offer an egg donor screening process that ensures strictly capable, healthy, and well-informed egg donors are given entrance into the database of the agency. But while this helps boost the success rate, it still does not rule out the possibility of having a healthy donor who is not fertile or who cannot provide high-quality eggs. 

There can also be instances where it is impossible to medically guarantee a certain number of eggs and embryos from a particular egg donor chosen by the intended parents. The agencies try to reduce these risks by offering a service-termed guaranteed egg donation. This program guarantees that there will be four resulting embryos from the IVF resulting from the donated eggs. In the scenario that the egg donor has empty follicle syndrome, or that the number of donated eggs is not good, or that the number of embryos produced is not up to four and the embryo transfer does not result in any pregnancy, the agency then bears the cost of a fresh IVF egg donation program for the intended parents. This allows the intended parents to bear less of the emotional and financial risks that may result from the egg donation process.

How does the guaranteed egg donation program work?

Depending on the agency chosen by the parents, the cost is usually all-inclusive; the price range is usually from 9k-11k dollars. The agency bears the risks if the number of embryos produced is less than four and none of them results in any pregnancy. The eligibility criterion for this program is the thorough examination of the sperm that is to be used in the IVF process by the agency. The agency will also have the right to choose the particular clinic in Georgia where fertilization and embryo creation will take place.