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The
Need for Egg Donors
The
egg donor is an important participant in the process of in vitro
fertilization and embryo transfer for the intended parents who are
contracting with Surrogacy Solutions. While medical advances in
infertility treatment are amazing, no treatment is available to
actually improve poor egg quality. It is increasingly becoming common
knowledge that surprising numbers of people placed their desire
to start a family on hold because of career pursuits or later in
life marriages, and that delay contributed to difficulty in conceiving.
These facts create a substantial need for egg donors to assist intended
parents in creating their child. Egg donation is utilized in two
scenarios. Sometimes, the intended mother is able to carry a pregnancy,
but is unable to use her own eggs to create the pregnancy. In other
instances, the intended mother is also unable to carry a pregnancy.
In that situation, the donor eggs will be transferred to the uterus
of a gestational surrogate after fertilization. In either scenario,
the eggs are harvested from the donor before ovulation, fertilized
in a laboratory, and the resulting embryos are transferred to the
host uterus three or five days later.
Poor egg quality
may simply be due to natural aging. A woman is born with all of
the eggs she will ever produce, so our eggs are as old as we are.
As a woman reaches her early-thirties, the likelihood of egg fertilization
decreases rapidly with each passing year. The likelihood of in vitro
fertilization of those same eggs is even lower, making the use of
donor eggs a preferable alternative. Also, some women of an ideal
age to use their own eggs are unable to do so because of prior treatment
with chemotherapy, early ovarian failure, ovarian cancer, polycystic
ovarian disease, or being born without ovaries.
The obligation
of the egg donor is complete when the eggs are harvested from her
ovaries by the physician. Immediately upon being retrieved, the
donated eggs belong to the intended parents for their exclusive
use. The egg donor has no parental rights or responsibilities with
respect to the donated eggs, or any embryos of children, which may
result from the donated eggs.
Egg
Donor Profile
After contact
is made between Surrogacy Solutions LLC and an egg donor candidate,
the egg donor candidate must complete a lengthy profile as the first
step in applying with the agency. Her background, beliefs, lifestyle,
medical history, and genetic attributes are important to us to obtain
a good match with intended parents. Medical screening and a psychological
evaluation are required of the egg donor. Her husband or partner,
if any, must undergo certain blood tests. A married donor’s
husband must be a party to the contract.
There are limitations
to the number of times a woman may donate eggs, both medically and
ethically. Prior donations must be disclosed in the profile. Surrogacy
Solutions is guided by the ethical restrictions imposed by the treating
physician in each situation, but prefers to work with women who
have not donated more than three times.
The fact of
prior donations must be disclosed to the intended parents and the
treating physician.
Age
Restrictions
Egg donor candidates
are typically between the ages of 20 and 30. Those donors who
are
easiest to match to intended parents and most readily approved
by infertility physicians are between the ages of 21 and 29. Matching
donor candidates who are under 21 and over 29 is somewhat more
difficult, but attainable in some situations. Often, for candidates
who are under 21,
Surrogacy Solutions will complete the application and screening
process, and then match the donor with intended parents, with
the
understanding that the stimulatory medications will begin once
the donor reaches age 21.
Surrogacy Solutions
does not require egg donor candidates to have children of their
own in order to qualify. Women who have undergone tubal ligation
may serve as egg donors. Women who have had their uterus, one or
both tubes, or one ovary removed may still qualify to donate eggs
in many instances, with final determination being made by the treating
physician.
Compensation
Egg donors with
our agency are compensated for their pain, suffering, and inconvenience
in taking fertility medications, submitting to ultrasounds and
blood tests, and undergoing the egg retrieval. Total compensation
rages
between $3,000 and $7,000. Payment is made to the egg donor through
the agency immediately following the egg harvest. Factors affecting
the compensation negotiated include whether the egg donor candidate
has previously donated eggs resulting in a pregnancy, whether
the
egg donor has children of her own, educational background, genetic
attributes, and geographical location.
Egg
Donor Requirements and the Egg Donor Contract
- Egg donors
are typically between the ages of 20 and 30
- Husband
of egg donor consents to the egg donation; if she is married
- Egg donor
completes a lengthy application with photographs of herself and
her children, if any, which is reviewed by Surrogacy Solutions
and matched with intended parents who are clients of Surrogacy
Solutions
- Egg donor
candidate consents to child abuse registry clearance and provides
complete address history for preceding five years
- Egg donor
candidate provides color photocopy of her driver’s license
- Egg donor
candidate provides copies of medical records for any pregnancy
and delivery, prior gynecological surgeries or procedures, and
records from any prior egg donations
- Egg donor
candidate undergoes psychological evaluation at the expense of
the agency
- Egg donor
candidate submits to blood screening for certain infectious diseases
- Once matched
to intended parents, egg donor enters into contract negotiations
with the agency
- Once contract
terms are determined, and a contract is prepared, egg donor consults
with her attorney regarding the contract (if you do not have an
attorney, the agency will assist you in finding one)
- Egg donor
and husband, if any, sign the contract
- Egg donor
undergoes a physical exam plus any additional medical screening
or testing deemed necessary by any medical professional the intended
parents select
- Egg donor’s
husband or partner submits to blood screening for certain infectious
diseases
- Egg donor
and husband agree not to have a parental relationship with any
child born as a result of an agreement with Surrogacy Solutions
- Egg donor,
her husband, if any, and intended parents agree to anonymous egg
donation and will not be identified, or the fact of a known donation
will be disclosed in the contract
- Egg donor
may inquire and receive certain information about the egg donation
and embryo transfer results, with advance agreement and consent
of intended parents
- Intended
parents assume all legal, financial, and parental responsibilities
for the child
- Physicians
and the assisted reproduction technology facility that will perform
the egg donation procedure are named in the contract
Timetable
for Egg Donor Candidates
- Complete written profile and mail to Surrogacy Solutions.
- Within three months, we will begin additional screening procedures
and notice will be given to you if Surrogacy Solutions determines
at any point in the process that it is unable to approve you as
an egg donor candidate.
- Within four
to six months of the date you submit your completed profile and
complete the additional screening procedures, you should expect
us to submit your profile for review by intended parents.
- You will
be notified each time your profile is sent to intended parents
for consideration.
- Upon being
matched with intended parents, you will undergo any additional
screening ordered by the treating physician, taking four to six
weeks.
- Medication
in preparation for an egg donation must be coordinated between
your cycle, the cycle of the woman who will host the pregnancy,
and the schedule of the treating physician. You may take suppressive
medications for several weeks, and will take stimulatory medication
needed to create multiple eggs for approximately seven to ten
days, with the egg retrieval occurring 34 to 36 hours after the
final medication is administered.
- Egg retrieval
should occur within six to eight weeks from the time you are cleared
to proceed by the treating physician.
- The egg donor
should have a follow-up exam to ensure her well-being about one
week after the egg retrieval.
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