Egg Donor

Women who suffer from premature ovarian failure, are carriers of a genetic disease, or have had a poor response to IVF using their own eggs might contemplate using an egg donor.

To help them make an informed and responsible decision, couples that wish to consider this form of treatment first must undergo a psychological evaluation with a clinical psychologist to discuss emotional and ethical issues surrounding egg donation.

Egg donors complete a detailed questionnaire concerning past medical history. Each donor has a physical examination performed by a physician at the Reproductive Science Center. She must provide a list of any genetic diseases that have appeared in her family and is required to undergo a psychological evaluation by a clinical psychologist.

The recipient couple will have the opportunity to review the “Donor Questionnaire Form”(s) and has the right to accept or reject any donor candidate.

After a donor has been selected, and all three individuals have passed the necessary blood work and psychological evaluation, the recipient’s and donor’s menstrual cycle are synchronized with birth control pills.

Eggs are removed from the donor’s ovaries just prior to ovulation and are fertilized in vitro with sperm from the recipient’s husband, partner, or donor. Following successful fertilization, the embryos are placed into the recipient’s uterus.

(For more about in vitro fertilization, see Assisted Technologies.)