Question
asked Her Majesty's Government:Further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 29 November 2007 (Official Report, 29/11/07; col. WA 131) and 3 December 2007 (Official Report, 3/12/07, col. WA 159) regarding the need for fully informed consent on the part of women donating eggs for research, how many eggs were stated to be required to ensure that the chance of pregnancy is not reduced according to patient information and consent forms approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority; and how these documents reflect the corresponding overall incidence of hospitalisation described in the journal Human Fertility (volume 10, issue 3, pages 183–87).
Answer
The department has been informed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that it does not produce guidance on the number of eggs required to ensure that the chance of pregnancy is not reduced in an egg-sharing arrangement. That is a matter for individual clinical judgement. However, the HFEA's code of practice states that clinics should ensure that the treatment offered is the most suitable available to satisfy the needs of the egg provider and recipient(s). The HFEA also expects that, before treatment begins, women should be given information on, among other things, a description of how the clinic proposes to determine the allocation of eggs between provider and recipient(s) and the possible side-effects and risks of treatment, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.