HFEA does not allow donated eggs from deceased women

Date issued: 15 October 2003

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has confirmed that it does not allow eggs to be donated from deceased women.

This decision was made following a public consultation exercise in 1994.

If the HFEA was ever to re-consider its position in the future on whether or not to allow the use of donated eggs from women who have died, there would have to be considerable discussion and consultation about the psychological consequences for the recipient couple and in particular for any prospective child.

The HFEA has no plans to reconsider this issue at the moment.

Ends

Notes to editors

The HFEA was set up in August 1991 as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.  The HFEA's principal tasks are to license and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), donor insemination (DI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.