Is getting pregnant using donor sperm possible in the UAE?
Today I saw a 42-year-old single woman for an initial fertility consultation. She was considering becoming a single mother by choice.
No — at the moment, UAE law does not allow fertility treatment using donor sperm. The same applies to donor eggs, donor embryos and surrogacy. Fertility treatment is currently limited to the use of a couple's own eggs and sperm.
Many women are surprised by this because they know that egg freezing is now legally available to single women. The two situations, however, are very different.
Freezing eggs is about preserving fertility. It doesn't create an embryo or start a pregnancy. It's simply a way of keeping future options open.
Using those eggs to achieve pregnancy is governed by different legislation. At present, donor sperm cannot be used in fertility treatment in the UAE.
For women who decide they would like to become single mothers by choice, this often means considering treatment in another country where donor conception is legally available. The good news is that freezing your eggs in the UAE doesn't limit your future options. If you later decide to have treatment abroad, your frozen eggs can be transferred to a licensed fertility clinic in another country.