How Egg Donation Works

How Egg Donation Works - Part 1

Egg donation is a modification of the process of IVF. There are several steps involved.
  • Recruitment of an egg donor
  • Screening / testing of the egg donor
  • Synchronization of the egg donor and recipient
  • Stimulation of the egg donor with fertility medication and preparation of the recipient uterus
  • Retrieval of the egg donor's eggs
  • Fertilization and culture of the egg donor's eggs
  • Transfer of the embryos into the recipient's uterus

Recruitment of an Egg Donor

An egg donor can be someone who is either known to the recipient couple or anonymous. A known egg donor can be anyone who is not closely related to the male partner who will be providing the sperm. An egg donor CAN be related to the female partner. Sisters, nieces, cousins or even daughters from previous partners are acceptable candidates to be a known egg donor.

If a couple does not have a suitable known egg donor or does not feel comfortable with a known egg donor then they can try to find an anonymous egg donor. There are many resources for finding an anonymous egg donor. Many of our patients are choosing to recruit their own egg donors by placing advertisements in local newspapers or by placing signs up at local colleges or beauty salons. Some of our recipients have found potential egg donors on the internet and still others will use an egg donor agency (though this is a very expensive method).

If you decide to recruit your own anonymous egg donor, do it in a way that preserves your anonymity. Here is an example of a well crafted ad:

Nice couple seeks young woman to be an egg donor. Must be under 25 years old. Compensation will be given. Contact Dr. Morris at 630-357-6540. Use the code name "baby1".

By using the code name, the donor applicant does not know who you are. When they call my office however, we will know that this is a donor responding to your ad by the code name.

We will send her an egg donor application to fill out and return. If the egg donor candidate seems acceptable then we will remove her identifying information and let you review the questionnaire. You can then choose whether you want to use this egg donor applicant or wait for another to respond.

If an acceptable egg donor applicant is not chosen by the recruiting recipient couple, we will ask her if she is willing to donate eggs for another couple in our practice. If she agrees, we will put her in our database. A copy of our currently available egg donors is available in the office.

Medical Screening of an Egg Donor

The initial questionnaire that the donor fills out asks about several aspects of her life:
  • Education
  • Work Experience
  • Medical History
  • Reproductive History
  • Family Medical History
  • Sexual Practices
  • Infection Risk
  • Psychological History
  • Social Habits (tobacco, alcohol, drugs)
  • Physical characteristics
  • Previous Egg Donor Experience
When an egg donor applicant is chosen for further screening, she is asked to come to the office to meet with me. At that time, I will go over her initial application and discuss any unclear areas. We will review the process of egg donation and what will be expected of her if she agrees to donate. We also review the risks and side effects associated with her treatment. If she is still interested in donating eggs, we will begin medical screening on her. The medical screening includes:

Assessment of Ovarian Reserve. Testing for transmissible diseases

As of May 25, 2005, the FDA is requiring significantly enahnced testing for all reproductive tissue donors including egg donors. This involves a more extensive medical history, a more extensive physical exam and a wider array of test for infectious disease.

  • Hepatitis B
  • Hepatitis C
  • HIV /AIDS
  • RPR / syphyllis
  • Gonorrhea
  • Chlamydia
The donor must have these tests performed as part of her initial screening for donor eligibility. She will also have the testing again shortly before the egg retrieval. A potential egg donor may be decalred ineligible at any point during testing.

Testing for Hereditary Problems

  • Chromosome test (Karyotype)
  • Gene mutation screening depending on ethnic group
  • Caucasian egg donors :

    • --Cystic fibrosis mutation screening
  • Black egg donors :

    • --Sickle Cell Anemia
  • Jewish egg donors :

    • --Tay Sachs Disease and others
If the egg donor applicant passes the above tests, then she will be acceptable to use as an egg donor.

How egg donation works - Part 2

 
Last Updated ( Monday, 17 March 2008 )