The ROPA method is still an IVF/ICSI method in all its aspects, with the same results.

One of the questions we are often asked is who the baby will look like – both women or just the one who donates the ovocyte. The truth is that 50 % of the baby’s genes will come from the woman who donates her ovocyte, but we should also remember the effect of epigenetics, i.e. how the pregnant mother’s uterine environment influences the expression of certain genes and other factors in the development of the embryo, so both women will have an influence on the development of their baby.

The couple must be married or cohabiting.

No, it is currently not possible to use the eggs of both mothers in the same uterus.

Although the decision must be made by the couple, doctors will make an assessment based on each couple’s history. It is necessary to study the possible presence of problems such as low ovarian reserve, absence of ovaries or uterus or some type of malformation. It is also generally recommended that the mother providing the eggs is under 35 years old and that the pregnant mother is in good health. 

No. Gamete donation in Portugal is non-anonymous, so only people born as a result of medically assisted procreation using donation can obtain information about the donor’s civil identity from the age of 18. They can choose certain physical characteristics such as eye colour, hair, age, height, etc. We will choose a donor who is as close as possible to the recipient. In the case of the ROPA Method, we will also select the donor taking into account the phenotypic characteristics of the surrogate mother, since the other mother already provides her genetic material.

For women, the minimum legal limit is 18 and the maximum limit is 50.

And why is it necessary to set this limit? Because age is a fundamental factor in the reproductive process and can lead to complications for both the mother and the future baby.

At Next Fertility we don’t have a waiting list to start any of the treatments we conduct in our centers, and we are committed to conducting the treatment on the date chosen by the patients.

Both in the ROPA method and in other assisted reproduction treatments, the transfer of a single embryo is usually recommended to minimize the risk of multiple pregnancies, since multiple pregnancies are risky pregnancies, but even the transfer of a single embryo into the uterus, it is possible for a twin pregnancy to occur, just as it can in a spontaneous pregnancy. 

No, in Portugal, as in the rest of Europe, free sex selection is not permitted by law; although it is true that there are techniques such as PGD (Preimplantation Genetic Testing) that allow us to know whether embryos in culture are male or female.

However, although choice is not allowed, there are some exceptions, in those cases where the sole aim is to avoid the transmission of genetic diseases associated with the sex chromosomes. These exceptions are regulated in the Medically Assisted Procreation Law 32/2006, which also establishes that sex selection or genetic manipulation for non-therapeutic or unauthorised purposes is a very serious offence.