Since its advent, IVF has seen constant innovations within its processes. Be it improving the ovarian stimulation protocol, introducing preimplantation genetic testing or vitrification, or blastocyst monitoring – the efficacy of IVF has increased over the years. On the same lines, more variations have been introduced in IVF to make it inclusive. One of them is reciprocal IVF.
Reciprocal IVF is done only in a handful of countries, with Cyprus (North Cyprus to be specific) being one of them.
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But what exactly is reciprocal IVF? In this article, we will explore everything about reciprocal IVF – what it is, how is it done and its cost in Cyprus.
What Is Reciprocal IVF?
Reciprocal IVF, also called co-IVF or co-maternity IVF, is a fertility option for lesbian or trans-men couple where both the parties biologically take part in IVF and pregnancy process. In traditional IVF, even for lesbians, the partner whose eggs are used for fertilization is also the one who carries the child. But in case of co-IVF, both can participate in the process – one donates the egg and the other takes the pregnancy to term. This process allows both the partners to participate in the IVF process biologically.
What Is The Difference Between IVF And Reciprocal IVF?
| Feature | Classical IVF | Reciprocal IVF |
| Participants | For heterosexual couples and involves one female partner | Specialy designed for lesbian couples and involves two female partners |
| Biological Contribution | Gestational mother and genetic mother are the same (except when donor eggs used) | One partner becomes the genetic mother and other partner becomes the gestational mother |
| Use Case | Can be used as an infertility treatment and is not limited to a specific type of couple | Created for same-sex lespian couples who want to biologocally be a part of the process |
| Countries | Offered by almost all the countries | Offered only by a handful of countries like Cyprus (North Cyprus), Bulgaria, Spain and, Finland |
| Hormonal Treatment | Only the female partner undergoes the hormonal treatment, from ovarian stimulation till the embryo transfer | Both the female partners go through hormonal treatments – ovarian stimulation for the genetic mother and endometrial preparation for the brith mother |
| Legal and Ethical Considerations | Laws are straightfoward in case of heterosexual couples | The genetic mother might have to adopt the child to have their legal guardianship. |
What Is The Reciprocal IVF Cost For Lesbian Couples in Cyprus?
The reciprocal IVF cost for lesbian couples in Cyprus is around USD 50,000. The costs are usually high for reciprocal IVF as only a handful of countries offer this type of IVF.
Why Is Reciprocal IVF Cost For Lesbian Couples In Cyprus High?
There are three main reasons as to why co-maternity IVF is more expensive:
- It requires donor sperm (of course, this cost will always be encountered for anyone doing reciprocal IVF)
- Requires both partners to have monitoring appointments
- Requires either 1) more logistics due to cycle syncing or 2) a frozen embryo transfer.
Which Countries Offer Reciprocal IVF?
Reiterating the above statement, only a few countries offer reciprocal IVF or shared motherhood like:
- Spain.
- Finland.
- Bulgaria.
- Cyprus (North Cyprus).
Earlier, lesbian couples would have to go as single ladies inorder to get treated via IVF. In such scenarios, only one partner would go through the whole process – from egg retreival to pregnancy. This arrangement made that particular partner the only legal guardian of the child. However, the introduction of co-IVF has changed this scenario as both the partners get the chance to take part in the IVF process, consequently making both the women the legal guardians of the child.
What Is The ROPA Method?
The ROPA method, or Reception of Oocytes from the Partner method, is the latest varient in IVF where both the partners get a chance to be a part of the maternity process. The partner whose eggs are used for IVF becomes the genetic mother while the other lending her womb becomes the gestational mother.
How Is Reciprocal IVF Done?
The process of Reciprocal IVF is almost similar to classical IVF with one additional step – syncing cycles. The basic steps are:
- Syncing Cycles
- Ovarian Stimulation
- Egg Retrieval
- Fertilization and Embryo Development
- Embryo Transfer
1. Syncing Cycles
It is important to sync the menstrual cycles of the genetic mother and the gestational mother to accurately time the embryo transfer. This ensures that the uterine lining is at a proper stage of development when the embryo is ready to be transferred. This step becomes important when using using fresh embryos rather than frozen ones.
To uderstand the biology behind this, lets get to the basics of the fertilization process. The female’s menstrual cycle is between 28-33 days, with ovulation occuring between 14th to 16th day of the cycle. The ovulation window in also the time when the egg gets fertilized with the sperm in the fallopian tube, zygote travels to the uterus and gets implanted to the endometrial line around day 20.
To time the embryo transfer, it is important that the gestational mother is in her 20th day of the cycle when the blastocyst is 5 days old.
The syncing is done via medications like birth control oills. And once the cycles are synced, the regular IVF process starts.
2. Ovarian Stimulation
The IVF specialist starts ovarian stimulation of the genetic mother between 2nd to 4th day of the cycle. Once the hormone levels are checked, the genetic mother will be put on medications for around 10 days for her ovaries to produce multiple eggs in one cycle.
A team of IVF specialists regularly monitor the size of the follicles via ultrasound. Once the follicles reach an optimal size, the eggs will be retreived.
At the same time, the gestational mother is given certain estrogen and progesterone medications to thicken her uetrine lining. A well-formed endometrial lining increases the odds of implantation and a healthy pregnancy.
3. Egg Retreival
Once the follicles have reached a specific size, a tiny hollow needle with suction power is used to drain the liquid from the follicles, which contain the matured eggs.
One should remember that there are no fixed number of eggs that are retreived as it depends on the woman’s age, fertility diagnosis, health history and the response to medications.
4. Fertilization and Embryo Development
Once the eggs are retreived, they are fertilized in a petri dish and then placed in a nourishing medium for the embryo to develop into a blastocyst. Once the embryo has reached day 5 (blastocyst stage), the couple can opt for pre-genetic test to determine whether the blastocyst is carrying any genetic abnormalities or not. These tests help reduce the risk of miscarriages and or subsequent problems post birth. There are also tests available for gender screening.
5. Embryo Transfer
After the embryos are screened and finalised, its time to transfer the blastocysts into the womb of the gestational mother. Embryo transfer is a minor procedure where a sterile catheter is used to place the embryos into the carrier’s uterus. The procedure takes hardly a few minutes and requires no anesthesia.
The remaining embryos can be frozen for future, incase the couple wishes for another child.
Reciprocal IVF Timeline
Day 0: Syncing menstrual cycles.
Day 1-10: Ovarian stimulation for the genetic mother and endometrial preparation for the gestational mother.
Day 12: Egg retreival.
Day 17: Embryo transfer.
Day 26: Pregnancy test.
Laws Governing Reciprocal IVF
The laws governing reciprocal IVF in Cyprus are quite liberal compared to other countries. However, there are two main requirements that should be kept in mind before opting for Reciprocal IVF for lesbian couples in North Cyprus.
- The couple needs to be legally married.
- If only one female partner donates the eggs, she may have to legally adopt the child inorder to become the legal guardian of the child.
Also, one should bear in mind that there are no clear laws governing commercial surrogacy in Cyprus. This makes any agreement or surrogacy contract between the surrogate mother and the future parents lacks validity, being unenforceable before a court.
FAQs On Reciprocal IVF Cost For Lesbian Couples In Cyprus?
Q: What is the process of reciprocal IVF?
A: The process is:
- Syncing Cycles
- Ovarian Stimulation
- Egg Retrieval
- The Embryology Lab: Fertilization and Embryo Development
- Embryo Transfer
Choose GoMedii For The Best Reciprocal IVF Cost For Lesbian Couples In Cyprus
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Contact GoMedii to get your queries resolved by our team of medical experts. You can also reach out to us to apply for a medical visa.
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