By myself

If you wish to become a mother, without a male partner, you can opt for medically assisted procreation techniques. Portuguese law allows women (single or not) who wish to be mothers, but do not have a male partner, to use these techniques to fulfill their dream.

1. What are the steps to follow:

The first step to start the process is to schedule a fertility appointment at Procriar. In this consultation, a complete gynecological examination (including endovaginal ultrasound) will be done and clinical and other tests will be prescribed, which will enable us to determine the ovarian reserve and evaluate if all conditions are met to achieve a healthy pregnancy and with the lowest possible risk.

In case of women living abroad this step can be done with their usual gynecologist, however it is necessary that Procriar sends in advance some specific recommendations.

This initial assessment serves to check whether treatment is possible, what are the chances of success and what is the most appropriate technique for the situation – women are not all the same and there are several factors that affect the likelihood of successful PMA treatments.

Ask us for more information! Within a maximum period of 48 hours we will answer to your contact request.

2. What techniques can be used?

The selection of the most appropriate technique for each case depends on multiple factors (the woman’s age being the most important) and the results of the initial clinical evaluation.

In case of women, who intend to become pregnant without a male partner, the techniques that can be used are:

• Intrauterine insemination with donor sperm (IAD) – is a first-line technique, which is applicable in the cases with better prognosis and, whenever possible, is the recommended treatment for women who intend to become pregnant using sperm donation. It is especially suitable for women under the age of 35 and who have healthy tubes.

• In vitro fertilization with own oocytes and donor sperm – is a technique in which, after a controlled ovarian stimulation, the oocytes are collected from the ovaries, fertilized in the laboratory with the sperm of a donor, and later transferred to the uterus. It is applied in situations where the IAD cannot be used, or would have a low probability of success, as well as in the cases of women who were unable to conceive through IAD.

• In vitro fertilization with donation of oocytes and donor sperm – is a technique indicated for situations in which the woman’s ovaries are unable to produce viable oocytes (due to early menopause, history of cancer treatments or ovarian failure associated with age among others) or in cases where it is intended to prevent the transmission of a genetic disease from the mother to the child. It consists of fertilizing the donor’s oocytes with the donor’s sperm, obtaining embryos that can later be transferred to the uterus.

If you are trying to get pregnant and want more information about treatments ask us for more information. We will answer within 48h.

3. Donor information:

Portuguese law requires gamete donors (sperm and oocytes) to be voluntary and altruistic. Before being admitted as donors to Procriar, candidates are subject to a rigorous health and fertility assessment process, and those with genetic diseases or with a family history of this type of problems are excluded. Procriar has a sperm bank and its own oocyte bank with hundreds of samples from donors of all ethnic origins, so that it is possible to assign a donor with physical characteristics as close as possible to those of the beneficiary couple or woman.

Procriar is also part of an international gamete bank network, which we use in situations of couples or women with less common physical characteristics in the Portuguese population. Ask us for more information. We will answer within 48h.