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Single women and single men in Australia have three main fertility pathways at Genea: IUI with donor sperm, IVF or ICSI with donor sperm (for women using their own eggs), and IVF or ICSI with donor eggs and a surrogate (for men using their own sperm). Egg freezing is also available for single women who want to preserve fertility for later. The right pathway depends on whether you have a uterus, whose gametes (eggs or sperm) you're using, and whether a donor or surrogate is involved. Solo parents by choice access the same clinical pathways, success rate expectations, and specialist support as couples at Genea. 

Which pathway is right for you?

Your pathway depends on your circumstances. A quick guide:

  • Single woman using your own eggs: IUI with donor sperm, or IVF/ICSI with donor sperm
  • Single woman not ready yet: egg freezing now, then IVF/ICSI with donor sperm later
  • Single man using your own sperm: IVF or ICSI with donor eggs, and a surrogate to carry the pregnancy
  • LGBTIQA+ single person or couple: see our LGBTIQA+ families page for pathways including reciprocal IVF and fertility preservation before gender-affirming treatment

Each pathway is explained in detail below.

Understanding your options as a solo parent

Whether you’ve done your research on IVF for single women or surrogacy for single men, or have just started exploring the idea of becoming a solo parent by choice, we can help. 

At Genea, we believe that family should no longer be defined by the traditional social constructs, and that all people – including single individuals – should have the opportunity to experience parenthood. Our fertility specialists are dedicated to providing fertility treatments that enable you to have children of your own with the use of assisted reproductive technologies and donor sperm, donor eggs, and surrogacy. 

Your initial consultation with one of our fertility specialists will include an assessment of your own fertility. If you are looking to become a single mother, this may include assessing your ovarian reserve and looking for any gynaecological conditions that may affect your pregnancy. If you are looking to become a single father, your fertility doctor and their team will perform a semen analysis to assess the health of your sperm. 

If you’re a single woman, read about why fertility testing matters here.

Fertility options for single women: IVF, ICSI, and IUI

Assisted reproductive technologies, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for single women can be achieved using your eggs and donor sperm. Deciding which fertility treatment is best for you can depend on:

  • The quality of your donor sperm, and whether the sample is fresh or frozen
  • The quality of your eggs, which is often determined by your age at the time of treatment
  • Your personal preferences

Your fertility specialist can provide guidance and their expert recommendation on which technique they expect will provide you with the best chance of success. 

IUI/donor insemination: In the context of using donor sperm, intrauterine insemination is often referred to as donor insemination. This form of assisted reproduction is the least invasive and typically associated with the lowest costs. Your fertility specialist will either manage your ovulation cycle with medications or track your natural cycle, and then introduce the donor sperm into your uterus at the time of ovulation. 

IVF: For single women, IVF treatment with donor sperm can be an effective option for having a baby. IVF involves retrieving your eggs after a course of ovarian stimulation, combining these eggs with donor sperm in a laboratory for fertilisation, then selecting a single healthy embryo for transfer to your uterus. 

ICSI: ICSI for single women will take you through a process similar to IVF. However, rather than mixing your eggs with donor sperm, our embryologist inserts a sperm into each egg to encourage fertilisation. While ICSI is the most involved of the assisted reproductive technologies, your fertility specialist will recommend the most appropriate approach based on your individual circumstances. 

Read more about solo parenting and building your family with donor sperm here.

Read our guide to preparing for solo pregnancy here.

Egg freezing

Egg freezing is a form of fertility preservation for women, and can be a highly valuable option for single women who are not yet ready for motherhood but would like to consider this in the future. As egg quality declines with age, considering this option while you’re still young will give you a better chance of a successful pregnancy later on. 

Freezing and storing your eggs in our secure cryobank allows you to ensure you are financially, emotionally, and mentally ready for parenthood before using these eggs for fertility treatment. 

Fertility options for single men

Pursue solo fatherhood through IVF or ICSI with donor eggs and a surrogate, with specialist support at every step.

Fertility options for single men: IVF, ICSI, and surrogacy

Men passionate about pursuing solo fatherhood can achieve this through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using donor eggs and a surrogate. 

Your sperm sample will be collected, washed, and prepared to remove debris and excess seminal fluid. This process also helps to separate healthy, mobile sperm from sperm that are unlikely to successfully fertilise the egg. Depending on the quality of your sperm and whether your donor eggs are fresh or frozen and thawed, your fertility specialist will recommend either IVF or ICSI.

IVF: Your sperm is combined with the donor eggs in a laboratory, where they can swim to the egg and break through its outer layers for fertilisation. After a short period of incubation in our labs, the healthiest embryo is selected for transfer to your surrogate’s uterus.

ICSI: Compared to IVF, ICSI gives us more control over the fertilisation process. Fertilisation is achieved by directly injecting a single sperm into each donor egg, and the embryo then transferred to your surrogate’s uterus to carry through pregnancy.

Surrogacy for single men

Also known as a gestational carrier, a surrogate is a woman who has offered to carry your baby through pregnancy, birth, and delivery. She will not be considered your child’s mother, and has no legal rights or obligations to your baby. 

In Australia, surrogacy must be voluntary and altruistic, meaning there cannot be any financial transaction for your surrogate’s involvement. You are also limited with advertising your search for a surrogate, as laws prohibit public advertising. Many single men looking for a surrogate will find someone from their family, friends, or wider social network. The road to surrogacy for single men can be long and challenging due to these restrictions, but the team at Genea are here to support you at every step.  

FAQs

Using a sperm donor or egg donor

At Genea, we are able to fully support single women looking for a sperm donor through our local sperm donor program as well as our international sperm bank partners. We also facilitate fertility treatment for single women who are using sperm from a known, or patient-recruited donor. Likewise, we provide guidance for single men looking for an egg donor, with access to our reputable international egg bank partners. 

Choosing a donor can be a tough decision. When starting your fertility treatment with us, you will be allocated a dedicated donor coordinator, who can answer your questions, schedule your appointments, and provide guidance and support through your journey.


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