Our Donors

Donors at all of our centers are anonymous to the recipient, unless they are someone chosen from outside the program such as a friend or family member. All oocyte donors, regardless of type, undergo extensive screening in our best effort to ensure their suitability as egg donors. Their screening typically begins with a thorough review of their personal and family medical history. The goal is to exclude all donors whose families have members with heritable disorders that produce serious handicaps. Each potential donor is given a 20-page questionnaire and follow-up interview as a portion of the initial screening. This is followed by a complete physical exam and an assessment by a staff psychologist. The psychological examination insures that the donor is well adjusted and without psychological disorders.

All donors must have two ovaries, possess good ovarian function, be less than 33 years of age, and have no evidence of drug use. They must also have no history of sexually transmitted diseases or prior hepatitis. Drug screens, sexually transmitted disease cultures, and HIV tests are performed on all donors. All donors are apprised of the potential side effects of their treatment and informed that we will not disclose their identity to egg recipients nor will we advise them whether a pregnancy was established. Donors sign an informed consent outlining the risks and the anonymity of the agreement. If married, the donor's spouse is also required to give consent.

Though the donation is anonymous, many characteristics of the donor will be disclosed. We feel this is important for two reasons. First, it enables the recipient to make an informed choice about the appropriateness of the proposed egg donor. Second, if conception occurs, it will serve as a record of the genetic background of the child that may be important in the future.

The Process

The process of becoming a donor egg recipient begins with an initial consultation visit at our centers. This will give you a chance to learn about the egg donation process in detail and ask questions. You may be asked to complete a pilot cycle. The pilot cycle involves taking hormones to mimic the natural ovarian cycle in order to prepare the uterine lining (endometrium) to receive the embryo.

The second step is donor matching. This is performed once the screening has been successfully completed. Through donor egg matching, we will select a fully screened egg donor based on the recipient's physical characteristics and any additional requirements. Information about the proposed donor will be provided in writing including her age, height, weight, build, complexion, hair and eye color, blood type and Rh factor. We will also disclose the outcome of any prior pregnancies that the donor has had, her marital status, sexual orientation, as well as any medical or surgical conditions.

Once you have accepted a donor, we will inform you when the donation is expected to occur. This depends on where the donor and you are in your menstrual cycles, since we will attempt to synchronize them to permit a fresh transfer of embryos.

After synchronization, you will return for embryo transfer the day of the donor's egg retrieval. Your stay at the institute will average approximately 5 days with the embryo being transferred 3-5 days after the egg retrieval. The embryo transfer usually lasts only a few minutes and is performed without anesthesia. After the embryo transfer you will continue taking hormones. A pregnancy test can be performed two weeks later.