Reciprocal IVF (ROPA)

Reciprocal IVF, also known as ROPA, partner egg donation, or Shared Motherhood, is similar to traditional IVF with donor sperm. In Reciprocal IVF, however, one partner provides the egg, while the other partner carries the pregnancy. 
Request a free consultation at Cryos Clinic, where our authorised healthcare professionals assess whether Reciprocal IVF is right for you. Taking your medical history, lifestyle, and menstrual cycle into account, together we create a personalised treatment plan that meets your needs and preferences.
Before you proceed, please be aware that according to Danish law, Cryos Clinic can only treat women up to their 46th birthday.

Reciprocal IVF is a fertility treatment for lesbian couples, allowing one partner to provide the egg and the other to carry the pregnancy.

The process begins with hormonal stimulation to increase egg production in the partner providing the egg. Eggs are retrieved from the ovaries, fertilised in the laboratory with donor sperm, and, after 5-6 days, hopefully develop into blastocysts. The strongest blastocyst can then be transferred to the partner’s uterus in her next cycle.

At Cryos Clinic, only one blastocyst is transferred at a time to minimise health risks associated with multiple pregnancies. Any extra high-quality blastocysts can be frozen for future use.

The price of one round of Reciprocal IVF starts at EUR 6,525 (incl. VAT). At Cryos Clinic, the donor sperm needed for the treatment is included in the price. Therefore, the only thing you need to consider is which sperm donor you would like to use.

You can see our list of prices here.

Here is a step-by-step guide to the process you go through when receiving Reciprocal IVF at Cryos Clinic:

• Initial consultation: Before planning your Reciprocal IVF at Cryos Clinic, you must fill out our online contact request form and get access to our secure online patient system. There, you will be asked to complete a detailed medical history form before attending a free initial consultation with one of our experienced healthcare professionals. Together, we will go through your medical history and the recommended course of treatment. We speak English and Danish. Start your journey here.
• Begin hormone stimulation: If you and the healthcare professional at Cryos Clinic determine that you should proceed with Reciprocal IVF, we recommend that you visit Cryos Clinic in Aarhus for an ultrasound scan of the partner providing the eggs before we further plan the course of treatment. If you prefer to limit your travel, you may – at your own expense – arrange for ultrasound scans at a clinic closer to home. The hormone stimulation will consist of injections at home.
• Order treatment with donor sperm: Before proceeding with your treatment, you must find a sperm donor and order a treatment with donor sperm. Contact us by email if you have any questions on when and how to purchase your treatment.
• Ultrasound scans: After 8-10 days of hormone injections, the partner providing the eggs should have another ultrasound scan to see how she responds to the medicine. Some may need more days of medicine, and some are ready for the ovulation trigger shot, and we can plan the egg retrieval.
• Egg retrieval: Once the eggs have matured, egg retrieval is performed by a fertility doctor at Cryos Clinic.
• Fertilization: After the eggs have been retrieved, the embryologist prepares the eggs for fertilization in a petri dish. In IVF, sperm from a donor is then placed together with the eggs, hopefully leading to fertilization and embryo development. If using ICSI fertilization, one sperm cell is placed in the egg by the embryologist.
• Embryo transfer: If one or more embryos have developed sufficiently to a day 5 or 6 blastocyst, a fertility doctor transfers a single blastocyst into the uterus of the partner who will carry the pregnancy. A pregnancy hopefully occurs, and the treatment is successful. If more than one embryo develops sufficiently, the excess embryos can be frozen and stored for another attempt or siblings. 

Each time you visit, one of our experienced healthcare professionals will be ready to take you through the procedure you are about to have.

If you prefer to have the embryo transfer performed at a clinic closer to your home, please contact us for more information about this option.

You can return to your everyday life after both egg retrieval and embryo transfer.

You should take a pregnancy blood test two weeks after an embryo transfer, to see if the treatment was successful. We know it might be tempting to take an early pregnancy test sooner than that, but some fertility medications may give you a false positive if you test too soon.  

If you are pregnant, we offer a free, early pregnancy scan at Cryos Clinic - Aarhus about three weeks later (in pregnancy week 7-9). Hopefully, we will be able to detect a pregnancy.
If you do not become pregnant, we will plan the next treatment together with you. Our healthcare professionals will also be able to guide you on other treatment options if the treatment is unsuccessful.

Ordering donor sperm for Reciprocal IVF

At Cryos Clinic, Reciprocal IVF is available using donor sperm from Cryos International Sperm Bank. With over 1,000 donors, you can find the ideal match for your family. To ensure traceability, Cryos only supplies sperm to authorised clinics like Cryos Clinic, in accordance with Danish legislation. See our guide to ordering treatment with donor sperm for Cryos Clinic here.

Where can I have Reciprocal IVF?

Reciprocal IVF is allowed in Denmark as of January 1, 2025. You can have Reciprocal IVF at Cryos Clinic in Aarhus, and if you prefer to limit your travel, you can choose to have your embryo transfer at a clinic closer to home.

What does IVF for lesbians cost?

At Cryos Clinic, the cost of IVF for lesbians starts at EUR 6,525 (incl. VAT). This is the price of Reciprocal IVF and includes the donor sperm needed for the treatment.