Third-party reproduction or
donor-assisted reproduction is any
human reproduction in which
DNA or
gestation is provided by a third party or donor other than the two
parents who will
raise the resulting child. This goes beyond the traditional
father–
mother model, although the third party's involvement is limited to the reproductive process and does not extend into the raising of the child. Third-party reproduction is used by couples unable to reproduce in the traditional manner, including
same-sex couples and those where one or both partners is
infertile.