A private-sector ovum donation bank has been established in Japan for the first time. The company began accepting egg donations on Tuesday with the intention of creating an “ovum bank.”

The Oocyte Donation Network requires egg donors for assisted reproduction purposes and has 20 women who cannot conceive children registered as prospective recipients, TBS reported. The endeavor, started by families and medical professionals, is the first such endeavor by a private-sector group in Japan.

The network consists of doctors specializing in fertility treatment and patients’ representatives. Network representatives told a news conference that recipient registration lists are closed for the time being, TBS reported.

Although donors’ identities will not be made public, the company has stated that a precondition to donation is agreeing to give the child access to the donor mother’s real name and address. Donors are currently unpaid; however, the network says it may consider compensating donors if none are found within a year.

Recipients are also asked to agree to cover any potential medical costs resulting from adverse health effects in donors resulting from the donation procedure.

TBS reported that so far, five private institutions specializing in fertility treatment have been named as associates of the network and will carry out egg harvesting from donors as well as in vitro fertilization using the donated eggs and sperm from the husband of the recipient family.

(Read by Brian Salter. Brian Salter is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)