The ROPA Method (Reception of Oocytes from the Couple) is an assisted reproduction technique specifically for couples of women who wish to have biological children and actively share the process of motherhood. This method offers the possibility for both women to participate jointly: one of them provides the eggs, while the other carries out the gestation. In this way, both feel involved and biologically connected to the baby.
ROPA Method
What is the Partner Egg Reception or ROPA Method?
The ROPA method consists of a process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in which one of the women of the couple donates her eggs, which are fertilized with sperm from an anonymous donor. The resulting embryos are transferred to the uterus of the other woman, who will be in charge of carrying out the gestation. In this way, one of the women becomes the “biological mother” and the other the “gestational mother”, involving both of them actively in the process of motherhood. And therefore it does not put any impediment for two women to carry out their desire to have children.
Under the protection of these laws, lesbian couples have different alternatives to achieve pregnancy. Depending on the age of the member of the couple who wishes to become pregnant, Artificial Insemination (AI), In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) with anonymous donor sperm (Sperm Bank), Ovodon with anonymous donor eggs and anonymous donor sperm can be performed. Another possibility is to fertilize the eggs of one of the members of the couple with anonymous donor sperm and transfer the embryos obtained to the couple to carry out the gestation. This technique is called Couple’s Egg Reception.
Legislation covering the ROPA Method
The ROPA Method is covered by the current Spanish legislation, which since laws 13/2005 and 14/2006 equalizes the rights of marriages between same-sex couples with those of heterosexual couples. Thanks to these regulations, lesbian couples have access to the same assisted reproduction alternatives as heterosexual couples, including artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and the ROPA Method, among others. Both women, being married, have the same rights and responsibilities over the child, and its filiation is legally guaranteed.
How is the ROPA Method carried out?
The process of the ROPA Method is similar to that of a traditional in vitro fertilization, but with the participation of both women in different roles. The process is carried out in several phases:
1. Ovarian stimulation of the donor woman:
The woman who is going to donate the eggs receives a controlled ovarian stimulation treatment so that her ovaries produce several mature eggs. This stimulation is similar to that performed in any IVF treatment. The eggs are retrieved by ovarian puncture when they reach the appropriate size.
2. Fertilization of the eggs with donor sperm:
Once the eggs have been obtained, they are fertilized in the laboratory with the sperm of an anonymous donor from a sperm bank. Fertilization can be performed
by conventional IVF or through the ICSI technique (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), depending on the quality of the sperm or the needs of the treatment.
3. Preparation of the pregnant woman’s uterus:
While the eggs are being fertilized, the woman who will carry the pregnancy forward receives hormonal treatment to prepare her uterus. This treatment includes estrogens and progesterone to thicken the endometrium and ensure that it is in optimal conditions for the implantation of the embryo.
4. Embryo transfer:
Between 3 and 5 days after fertilization, the embryos generated are evaluated, and those of better quality are transferred to the uterus of the pregnant woman. This procedure is painless and is performed on an outpatient basis. The number of embryos transferred depends on various factors, such as the woman’s age or the quality of the embryos, always seeking to minimize the risk of multiple pregnancy.
5. Luteal phase support and pregnancy diagnosis:
After the embryo transfer, the pregnant woman continues with hormonal treatment (progesterone) to promote implantation and pregnancy development. Approximately two weeks after the transfer, a pregnancy test is performed to confirm whether the treatment has been successful.
Advantages of the ROPA Method
1. Participación activa de ambas mujeres:
The main attraction of the ROPA Method is that it allows both women in the couple to feel directly involved in the process of motherhood. One woman contributes her genetic material and the other carries out the pregnancy, creating a strong emotional bond between them and the baby.
2. Greater control and safety in the process:
As in other IVF treatments, the quality of the embryos can be evaluated before transfer to the uterus. In addition, the use of anonymous donor sperm guarantees genetic and health safety, since donors are selected after rigorous medical examinations.
3. Various reproductive options:
If the woman who wishes to gestate is less than 38 years old and her ovarian reserve is adequate, she can also consider the possibility of providing her own eggs, according to her reproductive desires. In cases of older women or women with low ovarian reserve, the ROPA Method remains a viable option to achieve pregnancy with the couple’s eggs.
4. Success rates:
The success rates of the ROPA Method are comparable to those of any
IVF treatment, with a high success rate in young, healthy women. The success of the treatment depends on the quality of the eggs, the embryos, the preparation of the uterus and the experience of the medical team carrying out the process.
Legal and ethical considerations
One of the great advantages of the Spanish legislation is that, being married, both women in the couple are guaranteed filiation of the baby. This means that, for legal purposes, both are considered mothers of the future child, with the same rights and responsibilities. This filiation is established from the moment the informed consent is signed at the beginning of the treatment.
Emotional and psychological support
The ROPA Method, like any assisted reproduction treatment, can be an emotionally intense process. At IREMA, we offer psychological support to couples throughout the treatment, helping them manage expectations, challenges and difficult decisions that may arise. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to offering not only the best medical treatment, but also comprehensive emotional support.
