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Why do couples decide to use an egg donor?
Couples choose egg donation for reasons based on their individual circumstances. Some women’s ovaries are incapable of producing a fertile egg. Egg donation and adoption are options for these couples. The benefits to choosing an egg donor include control over the prenatal care of the baby and the intended mother being able to  experience the joys of pregnancy, childbirth and nursing a baby. In addition, the couple would be able to use the sperm of the husband. This can be especially important when the woman has had children but the man has not.
Who are egg donors?
RCC’s egg donors are intelligent, talented, attractive, motivated, humanitarian workers, and some of the nicest people in the world. For altruistic reasons, donors offer their eggs anonymously to bless the life of a recipient couple.
How many eggs will be available to the recipient couple after egg retrieval?
Typically, during egg retrieval 8-20 eggs are retrieved. After retrieval, eggs and sperm are combined in the laboratory through IVF or ICSI. Three to five days after retrieval, the recipient woman will transfer 1-2 embryo(s) into her uterus. The recipient couple will have the option of freezing additional embryos in order to have a frozen embryo transfer at a late date.
What kind of selection process does RCC use to screen egg donors?
RCC places very high medical and personal standards on donors that are accepted into our program. Before egg donors are placed on the list they must go through a comprehensive screening process. More than half of the donors that apply to RCC are not accepted. The prevailing concern when reviewing donor applications is to ensure that any future children will have the best chance at a healthy life free of major genetic or medical diseases. Only applicants who have: good physical and emotional health, appropriate weight for height, excellent personal character and are free of any major genetic diseases in themselves and their family are added to the egg donor list.
How does a recipient couple decide which egg donor to use?
RCC offers recipients the option to choose from many extraordinary donors. Conveniently, recipient couples are able view donor profiles online. Each donor provides extensive information including: medical and genetic history, personal interest information, and childhood photos. Adult photos of donors may only be viewed at the clinic with a staff member.
What does a recipient couple do once they find the donor they would like to use for their egg donation cycle?
When recipients find a profile that meets their personal preferences they contact the Donor Egg Coordinator to begin coordinating their cycle. The recipient couple will need to pay a deposit to hold that donor (this fee will be applied towards the overall global fee). The donor egg coordinator will assist the recipient couple with every step of the process in order to ensure that their cycle goes as smoothly as possible.
Why are recipients encouraged to pick their favorite two or three donors?
Each donor’s schedule and flexibility varies. When a recipient desires a cycle during a particular month, their number one choice may not be available. In the event that the recipient’s number one choice is not available the recipient couple can opt to wait until the donor is available or move forward with their second choice.
What if a recipient couple is interested in using an egg donor but is uncertain if this is the right option for them?
RCC offers a monthly support group for recipient couples. This group is led by the Donor Egg Coordinator. The first part of group will be a mini lecture from the Donor Egg Coordinator explaining more about an egg donation recipient cycle, the second part will be an open forum for couples to discuss their thoughts, concerns and opinions about being an egg donor recipient. The support group is a great opportunity for potential recipient couples to hear the thoughts and opinions of other patients and help couples determine if egg donation is right for them. Children are not allowed to attend. Recipient couples do not have to be a patient of RCC to attend the support group. There is no charge for group but couples interested in attending need to contact the Donor Egg Coordinator to register;
donoreggcoordinator@FertilityDr.com.
Will recipient couples have an opportunity to discuss their feelings about egg donation one-on-one?
Recipient couples (both wife and husband must be present) are required to have a psychological screening with a RCC referred licensed mental health professional. This is a great opportunity for the couple to explore their feelings regarding egg donation more in-depth, discuss disclosure options and other important aspects related to being a recipient of an egg donation.
What costs are involved?
Although the use of an egg donor can be a more expensive
treatment cycle than other fertility treatment options, it is
often the most effective option for couples and may have the
highest chance of success per dollar spent. The cost for a fresh
donor egg IVF treatment cycle varies depending on whether a
known or an anonymous egg donor is used. Some clinics offer
higher compensation for donor fees, in turn recruiting donors
that are primarily interested in the monetary compensation for
their time and effort. At RCC, donor reimbursement fees are kept
at a reasonable limit to recruit donors who sincerely desire to
help others, while at the same time offering more patients the
ability to afford a donor egg cycle. Current estimated costs for
an anonymous donor egg treatment cycle are approximately $18,342 plus the cost of medications and preliminary testing. Approximately 80% of the time there will be extra embryos that can be cryopreserved for future use in frozen embryo transfer cycles at a much lower cost.
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