Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Donor eggs and donor sperm when you carry a cancer gene | CION Cancer Clinics
If the partner who carries a cancer gene fault does not provide the egg or sperm, the child cannot inherit that fault from them. Donor eggs or donor sperm make this possible, while the other partner still contributes their genes. This page explains who each option suits, how treatment works in India, and what donation does not change. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team helps carriers and their families plan checks, next steps and support after a genetic result.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How do donor eggs or sperm stop a gene fault being passed on?
- Donor eggs, donor sperm or donor embryos: who each suits
- What the path to donor treatment usually looks like
- Terms used at the fertility clinic, in plain language
- Donor treatment or embryo testing: how they compare
- What this page cannot tell you
- Four things couples tell us, and what is actually true
- Common questions about donor eggs and sperm
The short answer
How do donor eggs or sperm stop a gene fault being passed on?
If the partner who carries the fault does not provide the egg or the sperm, the child cannot inherit the fault from them. Using a donor's egg or sperm in place of the carrier's removes that route completely. The other partner still contributes their own genes, and the pregnancy is carried in the usual way.
Why some couples prefer this to embryo testing
Embryo testing needs IVF, a test designed for your family's fault, and enough healthy embryos to choose from. Donor sperm can often be used with a simpler procedure than IVF. Some couples also find it easier not to select between embryos. Others choose donation because the carrier's fertility has already been affected by cancer treatment or surgery.
What it asks of you
Your child will not share genes with one of you. For many couples that matters very little. For others, especially where family and community place weight on blood ties, it matters a great deal. That feeling is worth talking through openly before you start, with a counsellor and with each other.
Donation removes the chance of passing on your family's fault. It does not change the carrier's own risk or their need for screening.Which donation fits
Donor eggs, donor sperm or donor embryos: who each suits
Which kind of donation is relevant depends on which of you carries the fault. Each path involves a different amount of treatment.
Donor sperm
For couples where the man carries the fault. Donor sperm can often be placed in the womb directly, which is simpler than IVF. The woman's own eggs are used, so the child shares her genes.
Donor eggs
For couples where the woman carries the fault. Eggs from a donor are fertilised with the partner's sperm through IVF, and the embryo is placed in the woman's womb. She carries and gives birth to the baby.
Often considered when
- Her own egg supply is low
- Her ovaries have been removed to reduce risk
- Cancer treatment has affected her fertility
Donor embryos
Rarely needed for cancer genes. It may be discussed when both partners carry a fault, or when neither partner can provide eggs or sperm for other reasons.
What stays the same
The pregnancy, birth and parenting are exactly as they would be otherwise. Indian law treats the child as the legal child of the couple, and the donor has no parental rights.
Ask whether the clinic is registered under the ART Act before you start.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
What the path to donor treatment usually looks like
Genetic counselling first
A counsellor confirms which partner carries the fault, explains the chance of passing it on, and sets donation alongside the other options so you can compare them fairly.
Choosing a registered clinic
In India, ART clinics and banks must be registered under national law. Your fertility doctor explains how donors are recruited, screened and kept anonymous, and what the treatment involves.
Screening and matching
Donors are screened for infections and some genetic conditions. Ask exactly what the screening covers, and whether it includes your family's gene. Matching often considers blood group and physical features.
Treatment and pregnancy
Donor sperm treatment is often done without IVF, though it can take more than one attempt. Donor egg treatment follows IVF. Once pregnant, antenatal care continues exactly as for any other pregnancy.
Words you will hear
Terms used at the fertility clinic, in plain language
- Gamete
- An egg or a sperm. Gamete donation means using someone else's egg or sperm to create a pregnancy.
- IUI
- Placing prepared sperm directly into the womb around the time of ovulation. Often used with donor sperm and simpler than IVF.
- IVF
- Eggs and sperm are brought together in the laboratory, and the resulting embryo is placed in the womb.
- ART Act
- The Indian law that regulates fertility clinics, egg and sperm banks, and donor treatment, including donor anonymity.
- Anonymous donor
- A donor whose identity is not shared with the couple or the child. This is the norm under Indian law.
- Carrier
- Someone with an inherited gene fault who does not have cancer. The carrier remains a parent in every sense.
Side by side
Donor treatment or embryo testing: how they compare
Donor egg or sperm
Embryo testing (PGT-M)
Child shares genes with one partner
Child shares genes with both partners
No test designed for your family's fault is needed
A test must be set up for the exact fault first
Donor sperm may avoid IVF altogether
Always needs IVF
Works even when the carrier's fertility is low
Depends on having enough healthy embryos
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Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether donation is right for your family. That depends on which partner carries the fault, your ages and fertility, your faith, and how you and your wider family feel about a child who does not share genes with one parent. What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test.
It cannot tell you what a clinic's screening covers
Donor screening varies between banks and clinics. Cancer genes are not usually part of routine donor screening. If this matters to you, ask the clinic directly and in writing, and share your family's report with your genetic counsellor.
Who this does not apply to
Most couples with a cancer gene in the family do not need donor treatment. Many conceive naturally and leave testing to their child as an adult. If your result is a variant of uncertain significance, a change whose meaning is not yet known, donation is not usually recommended on that basis. A fault found only inside a tumour is not inherited at all; that testing belongs to targeted therapy.
Commonly believed
Four things couples tell us, and what is actually true
"A child from a donor will not feel like our own."
Parents who use donors describe the same bond as any other parent. The partner who did not contribute genes is still the parent who raises, protects and loves the child.
"We can choose a donor from our own family or community."
Indian law is built around anonymous donors supplied through registered banks. Using a relative as a known donor is not the usual route and may not be allowed. Ask your fertility clinic what applies to you.
"Donors are checked for every genetic condition."
They are screened for infections and some common genetic conditions, but no screening covers everything. Cancer genes are not usually included unless specifically requested.
"Using a donor means the carrier no longer needs screening."
Donation protects the child, not the carrier. The carrier's own risk is unchanged, and their screening plan should continue exactly as before.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about donor eggs and sperm
Is donor egg or sperm treatment legal in India?
Yes. It is regulated by the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act. Clinics and banks must be registered, donors must meet set conditions and are kept anonymous, and a child born this way is the legal child of the couple.
Do we have to tell our child they were donor-conceived?
That is your decision. Many counsellors encourage honesty in age-appropriate words, because secrets found out later can hurt. How and when to talk about it is something a counsellor can help you plan.
Will anyone else need to know?
Your medical records will note the treatment, and they are confidential. Whether you tell parents, in-laws or friends is entirely your choice. Some couples tell nobody, and others share openly. Neither is wrong.
Can the carrier still be involved in the pregnancy?
Completely. A woman using donor eggs still carries and gives birth to the baby. A man whose partner uses donor sperm is the father in law and in the family. Donation changes only where one set of genes comes from.
Is donor treatment covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Fertility treatment is usually paid for privately, and most health insurance plans do not cover it. Coverage rules change, so check your policy and ask the clinic's billing desk for a full estimate before you begin.
Does using a donor have a higher success rate than PGT-M?
It depends on your ages, your fertility and the clinic. Donor eggs from a young donor can give good chances when the woman's own eggs are few. Your fertility specialist can give figures for your own situation.
What if my partner and I disagree about using a donor?
That is very common. A joint session with a genetic counsellor, and separately with the fertility clinic's counsellor, can help each of you say what worries you. There is no deadline, and other options remain open.
Where should we start?
Start with genetic counselling, so donation is weighed against every other option. Call the CION helpline and ask for a family planning discussion after a genetic result. Bring the carrier's report and any fertility history.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
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Sources
- Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority — Using donated eggs, sperm or embryos in treatment
- Department of Health Research, Government of India — National ART & Surrogacy Portal
- NHS — IVF
- National Cancer Institute — Genetic Testing for Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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Wondering whether donation is right for you?
A genetic counsellor can set donation alongside your other options and help you weigh them together, in Telugu if you prefer. One helpline serves every CION centre.