Importance of Egg Donor Screening for Your IVF Process

Using an egg donor is a viable option for prospective parents who have been through numerous pregnancy attempts, miscarriages or IVF treatment cycles using their own eggs and sperm. An egg donor also offers hope when no eggs are available, as in the situation of an LGBT couple who wish to become pregnant, or a woman who has ovarian failure or was born without ovaries. A woman who knows she is at risk for passing on a genetic disease also may want to consider an egg donor.

Fertility treatment using an egg donor has one of the highest success rates of all fertilization procedures. But, our Los Angeles fertility center cautions, you want to make sure you have professional guidance on egg donor screening so you can make the proper choice.

Why You Need Help Finding an Egg Donor

Women choose to become egg donors for a variety of reasons. They may want to donate eggs for the financial compensation, while others have a passion for helping infertile or same-sex couples start a family. Donor eggs may be fertilized using the prospective male parent’s sperm or by donor sperm. When an embryo results, it can then be transferred to the intended mother’s or surrogate’s uterus.

Our Los Angeles fertility center points out some things to consider in egg donor screening.

• The egg donor must consent to a comprehensive egg donor screening that includes medical testing.
• The donor then goes through the first part of the IVF process. She undergoes the same preparation to stimulate egg production, using self-administered medication injections.
• She must be ready for an outpatient surgical procedure for her eggs to be retrieved.
• She has to be mentally sound and willing to relinquish any rights to the eggs or offspring that result from her egg donation.

The Critical Task of Egg Donor Screening

The typical egg donor is a woman in her early 20s to early 30s. Depending on the arrangement, her identity may or may not be known to you. Our Los Angeles fertility center can help you find a reputable source that will conduct a thorough egg donor screening and will guide you through the proper legal consent process.

During egg donor screening, a reputable agency will evaluate the egg donor for:

• general and reproductive health
• personal and family medical history
• potential or evidence of inheritable or communicable diseases
• mental soundness to carry through with the donation process

Let our Los Angeles fertility specialists guide you in the right direction when you have decided to seek an egg donor. We are familiar with egg donor agencies and will help you compile a list of suitable agencies. Contact us for help with this important decision-making process.

Donors are thoroughly screened prior to donation

Egg donors are more thoroughly screened than a woman would be when using her own eggs to try to conceive. This improves the odds of getting a healthy embryo, boosting donor egg success rates.

Donors undergo extensive testing prior to donation, including:

• A questionnaire detailing personal and family medical history
• Psychological screening
• Genetic screening to prevent transmission of inherited diseases, such as cystic fibrosis
• Ovarian reserve assessments
• Full blood panel, including blood type and Rh status
• Infectious disease screening, including testing for HIV, hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmitted diseases

To learn more about IVF with donor eggs, please contact our Los Angeles fertility center.