Safety of Sperm and Ova Regulations (SSOR) are part of the Canada Assisted Human Reproduction Act (2004) and were introduced in 2020.

SSOR sets out regulations on the use of donor sperm and donor eggs (ova) in Canada where the donor eggs and sperm are intended for use in assisted human reproduction (AHR) by a recipient who is not the spouse, common-law partner or sexual partner of the egg or sperm provider. It is important to note that the Regulations do not apply to sperm and ova obtained from a spouse, common law partner, or sexual partner of the person intending to carry the pregnancy.

The purpose of the SSOR is to help minimize the potential health risks for those in Canada who are the recipient of donated eggs, sperm, or embryos.  Donors are required to undergo screening for genetic and infectious diseases which are reviewed by the attending physician and the medical director. These tests are rigorous and time sensitive.   Your D&S team will ensure you have a thorough understanding of how the screening requirements are being met in your cycle.

If you want to learn more about SSOR or have questions about how the Regulations may affect your care, please reach out to a member of our Donor and Surrogacy Team at dandsprogram@markhamfertility.com. You can also learn more by reading the Guidance Document on Health Canada's web site.

Yes. However, there are some conditions. It is illegal to pay a surrogate for their services. However, it is legal to reimburse a gestational surrogate for reasonable expenses incurred as a result of the surrogacy.

It is a requirement for intended parents and surrogates to have a surrogacy agreement in place prior to their cycle beginning. This will help to keep you on side with the law and will protect the interests of all parties involved namely, the gestational surrogate, the intended parent and the unborn child.

We have assembled a list of lawyers in the Resources section of the website.  The lawyers have experience in family and reproductive law in Canada.

The legal issues can be complex. It is important to consult with an experienced fertility lawyer to understand the legal requirements and potential challenges involved in using a known egg donor.  There are a number of very qualified fertility lawyers in Ontario who can assist. Please visit the Resources section for more information on Legal and Ethical considerations and a list of reproductive lawyers.

Success rates using donated eggs depend on a number of important factors including the age and health of the recipient, and the quality of the eggs and sperm used at time of fertilization.  Our pregnancy rates using donor eggs ranges between 50 and 80 percent.

The number of eggs depends on many different factors including the age of the egg donor and the quality of the eggs. The number of children desired will also heavily influence the number of eggs that may be needed. The quality of the sperm and the pregnancy/medical/fertility history of the person who will carry the pregnancy is also important. Every situation is unique and you should speak with your fertility physician.

Similar to surrogacy, egg and sperm donation is legal in Canada but an egg or sperm donor must not be paid directly for their donation. They can receive reimbursement for reasonable expenses. Whether you use a known donor or an egg donor through an agency, you and your donor will work with a legal team to establish a donation agreement prior to your donor starting their cycle or in the case of sperm, prior to completing their donation. This will help to keep you on side with the law and will protect the interests of all parties involved namely, the donor, the intended parent and the unborn child.

If you are using frozen eggs or sperm from egg/sperm banks you will not require a legal agreement with your donor since the egg/sperm bank “owns” the gametes when you are purchasing them.

Frozen eggs come from egg banks. The donor already went through ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval.  The eggs were frozen immediately and are currently in storage. The donor's suitability was assessed prior to her cycle. The egg bank will clearly state whether a potential donor meets Health Canada requirements. When the intended parent(s) complete the purchase of the eggs, the eggs are shipped to MFC.  We thaw the eggs and proceed with fertilization using your intended sperm. The embryos are then grown in the lab until day 5, 6 or 7 and then transferred fresh or frozen in the lab for future transfer.

To obtain fresh fresh eggs, intended parent(s) work with an egg donor agency or known donor.  Once the IP’s and donors have matched with each other and decided to proceed with donation your MFC team will begin coordinating the journey. This will include medical and genetic screening. The donors doctor will offer “medical clearance” once they have established this donor is a good candidate with you and your doctors input. You will then complete your legal agreement and your donor will proceed to her Health Canada required screening and testing and finally stimulation and egg retrieval. On the day of the retrieval you will receive all of the eggs that are retrieved from the donor and they will be fertilized fresh in the lab with the intended sperm. Your embryo’s are grown and frozen for future transfer on day 5, 6 or 7 of embryo development.

Fees can vary widely and depend on the egg donor you are working with. Our Donor and Surrogacy team will help you understand the costs once we know more about your path through donor egg journey. Here are some general considerations:

Cost Considerations when using a Known Egg Donor

Overall, patients can expect to pay around $30,000 when using a known egg donor to conceive, including all fees charged by Markham Fertility Centre for medical services as well as outside costs incurred for legal, counselling, and agency services.

• Genetic Testing (Carrier Screening) for all parties - $520/person
• Donor Coordination - $2,000
• IVF cycle for the donor - $12,500
• Medications for the Egg Donor - $3,000 to $6,000
• Genetic testing of Embryos, of ordered - $1,500+ depending on number of embryos
• Each Frozen Embryo Transfer - $2,200
• Storage of remaining Embryos - $50/month or $550/year
• Counselling for the Donor and Recipient(s) offered through an independent psychologist or social worker
• Legal Counselling and Agreement
• Fees charged by the egg donor agency, if one was used
• Costs to reimburse the egg donor for related out-of-pocket expenses

Cost Considerations when using an Egg Bank

Markham Fertility Centre works with few donor egg banks, each of which offers unique pricing. Our Donor and Surrogacy Team is happy to provide guidance and options

Fees can vary depending on your journey through sperm donation. In general you can expect to pay about $2,000 extra per cycle to accommodate for the cost of the sperm from a sperm bank.

If you are planning to use a known sperm donor, we recommend speaking speaking with our Donor and Surrogacy Team who can review the overall process and costs.