Could donor eggs be the answer for you?
Like all fertility treatments, the use of donor eggs is surrounded by questions that range from the scientific to the ethical. Knowing how the process works is key to understanding whether egg donation, or becoming an egg recipient, is right for you.
How it works
Once a woman has decided that she would like to become an egg donor, there will be a fairly intensive series of tests (gynecological exams, blood and urine tests, and even psychological evaluations) and doctor’s visits to determine her suitability. She will also be asked to consent to the egg donation.
When a woman is given the thumbs up to become a donor, she will be matched with a woman who will become the egg recipient. She will most likely be put on a regiment of fertility drugs (to increase the production of eggs in the ovaries), and the eggs will be removed with a minor surgical procedure. From there, the eggs are combined with sperm from the donor father, and transferred to the recipient’s uterus after embryos are present in a petri dish.
Not all women can be egg donors. Often certain health factors have to be present, and generally donor eggs are preferred from women between 21 and 35 years old. Some doctors prefer a woman who has given birth, because of a more predictable rate of fertilization. And there are legal considerations that may vary by state. Clinics have their own standards for egg donation, so consult a fertility professional to learn more.
How are egg donors chosen?
The process of health screening includes myriad tests to determine if the donor has any communicable diseases, or may have been exposed to diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. Because the process of egg donation involves the transfer of tissue from one person to another, there are many diseases that have to be ruled out.
There may also be questions about inherited genetic risks, such as a family history of cancer and heart disease, genetic disorders and birth defects.
Depending on the locale, a donor may have to answer a questionnaire about lifestyle and habits that may affect the quality of the egg. The clinic wants to know if the donor is a smoker, has received tattoos and body piercings, or has a risky sexual history.
Through psychological screening, clinicians may seek to determine the donor’s motives, and their understanding of the implications of not being able to have contact with genetic offspring. Tests may also be used to determine whether a potential donor will be able to comply with the strict requirements during the process that leads up to the donation.
Who is it for?
While the vast majority of reproductive infertility is treated with common drug therapies or surgical repairs to reproductive organs, in vitro fertilization using a donor egg is generally used for women who have a condition — such as ovulation disorder, or blocked or absent fallopian tubes — that prevents natural fertilization.
Since its introduction nearly three decades ago, the process of in vitro fertilization has become a relatively common procedure with a high success rate. Though expensive (The process can cost more than $10,000), many women with fertility problems are finding that in vitro using a donor egg offers them a positive solution.
Quick Facts About Infertility
- Infertility is not an inconvenience; it is a disease of the reproductive system that impairs the body's ability to perform the basic function of reproduction.
- Infertility affects about 6.1 million women and their partners in the U.S. - about 10 percent of the reproductive-age population (Source: National Survey of Family Growth, CDC 1995).
- Infertility affects men and women equally.
- Most infertility cases — 85-90 percent — are treated with conventional medical therapies such as medication or surgery.
- While vital for some patients, in vitro fertilization and similar treatments account for less than 3 percent of infertility services.
Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine