ASSISTED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY DEFINITIONS OF COMMONLY USED TERMS WITH EGG DONATION, EMBRYO DONATION AND GESTATIONAL SURROGACY:
Assisted Reproductive Technology(ART): The use of reproductive technologies to treat infertility.
Egg Donation: The process by which a woman donates one or more eggs (ova or oocytes) for purposes of assisted reproduction, most often in vitro fertilization.
Egg Donor: A woman who donates her egg or eggs to another woman for the purpose of in vitro fertilization.
Embryo Donation/Adoption: The process by which a donor or donor couple (male and female) donate their frozen embryo(s) to another party who cannot conceive.
Embryo Donor: A person or entity who donates an embryo to a woman who will attempt to carry the embryo to term.
Gestational Surrogacy: The process wherein created embryos, either from the intended parent(s) or donated to same, are implanted, using in vitro fertilization, into the uterus of a woman (often called the Gestational Carrier or “GC”). This woman will carry and deliver, but not parent, the child. In some cases (Traditional Surrogacy), the gestational surrogate is also the egg donor.
Gestational Surrogate (sometimes called the Gestational Carrier or GC): The woman who carries the embryo from conception to birth.
Intended Parent(s)(IP(s)): The person or persons who enter into a surrogacy agreement with the intent to become the legal parent or parents of the child (ren) born to the gestational surrogate. The intended parents may or may not be the genetic parents of the child(ren).
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): A lab procedure in which sperm and an unfertilized egg are placed in a petri dish to achieve fertilization. The Embryo is then placed in a uterus to begin a pregnancy or frozen for future use.
Surrogacy Agreement: Contract signed by the intended parent(s), the gestational surrogate and her husband (or significant other). The surrogacy agreement outlines the law, the terms, the procedures involved, and the understandings, rights, responsibilities and obligations of all parties prior to, during and after conception and birth of the child.
It is important that all parties to the agreement have their own, independent, legal representation.