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Egg Donor Program
Many factors, such as disease, genetic abnormalities, the absence of ovaries, ovarian failure, or age, can interfere with a woman's fertility and ability to produce healthy eggs (oocytes). In these cases, egg donation may be the treatment of choice.
The CWRC offers one of the longest-standing infertility programs in New York, and one of the largest and most successful egg donation programs in the country. The success of our program is due to the high-quality clinical care and support services offered at the Center. Our physicians, coordinators, and laboratory staff are uniquely skilled in advanced infertility treatment, and we have exceptional standards for donor screening and matching to recipients.
Egg donor IVF cycle options at the CWRC include standard ovum donation cycles (eggs retrieved from an anonymous donor are transferred to the recipient) and known ovum donation cycles (using a non-anonymous donor chosen by the recipient).
Information for Recipients
Recipient Screening and Preliminary Testing
Prior to beginning treatment, the recipient and her partner undergo preliminary testing to determine suitability for the egg donation process. Clinical screening for recipients includes blood tests, hormonal screening, infectious disease screening, genetic screening, urine analysis and culture, cervical cultures for gonorrhea and chlamydia, and a Pap smear. A sonohysterogram will be utilized to assess physical integrity and structure of the uterus.
A hysterosalpingogram or hysteroscopy may also be required to provide additional data. Clinical screening for male partners includes semen analysis, blood testing, infectious disease screening, and genetic screening.
Recipient Profile Form
In order to help the donor coordinator select a suitable donor from the CWRC's donor registry, recipient couples will be asked to complete a Recipient Profile Form. This form allows recipients to list physical characteristics, personal histories, and brief personality descriptions of both partners. This form also includes a "wish list," which allows recipients and their partners to list donor characteristics that they require and/or desire.
Donor Selection and Matching Process
Donors are healthy young women in the New York area who are recruited through various avenues, such as advertisements and word of mouth. Recruited donors are screened in a comprehensive, multi-step process, including examination of medical, genetic, ancestral, social, educational, and reproductive histories. Recruited donors also receive physician consultations and a psychosocial evaluation. Oocyte donors do not "sell" their eggs; they are young women who are donating their eggs anonymously and receive compensation for the time, risk, and effort invested in donating their eggs.
Donors selected from the CWRC's donor registry in accordance with a recipient's profile criteria are approved by the donor committee, which is chaired by Program Director Dr. Mark Sauer and composed of physicians, nursing staff, the donor coordinator, a psychiatrist, and a social worker. Approved potential donors are presented to recipients and their partners during a scheduled conference call. During this presentation, the physician provides a description of the donor, including physical attributes, family and health history, education, and personality. After the presentation, the recipient couple has two business days to accept or decline the proposed donor.
Donor Testing
Accepted donors undergo testing as required by the New York State Department of Health. These tests include blood screening for infectious diseases, blood type, and drug toxicology, in addition to genetic screening and Pap smear and cervical cultures.
Donor / Recipient IVF Cycle
The Donor/Recipient IVF cycle utilizes oocytes (eggs) provided by a donor for in vitro fertilization and subsequent transfer of embryos to the recipient. During the Donor/Recipient IVF Cycle, the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient must first be synchronized. Egg donors undergo ovarian stimulation using hormonal medications, while the recipient receives hormone replacement in preparation for transfer. The donor's response to stimulation is monitored carefully using ultrasound examinations and blood tests. At the appropriate time, the eggs are retrieved from the donor and combined with the male partner's sperm in a laboratory setting for the purpose of fertilization to develop embryos. Embryo transfer to the recipient occurs approximately five days after egg retrieval. This is a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia.
Information for Donors
Donors are healthy young women in the greater New York area who are recruited through various avenues, such as advertisements and word of mouth. Women are eligible to become donors if they are healthy nonsmokers between the ages of 21 and 32, and if they meet the CWRC's medical and other screening criteria. They must have a Social Security number.
Women interested in becoming candidates for egg donation can fill out the Information Request Form online or call the toll-free number 1-866-GIVE-EGG (1-866-448-3344).
Screening
The screening of recruited donors is a comprehensive, multi-step process. Donors will undergo examination of past medical, genetic, ancestral, social, educational, and reproductive histories, as well as infectious disease screening. Recruited donors also receive consultations by the CWRC's donor-program physician, complete physicals, and a psychosocial evaluation.
Donors that have been matched to recipients and accepted for oocyte (egg) donation will undergo additional testing as required by the New York State Department of Health. These tests include blood tests for HIV, HTLV, syphilis, a hepatitis panel, drug toxicology, and blood type. The donor will also undergo genetic screening, and a Pap smear and cervical cultures for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Non-anonymous donors who do not come from the CWRC's donor registry but are chosen by recipients for oocyte (egg) donation must still be cleared through the same comprehensive screening process.
Donor/Recipient IVF Cycle
The Donor/Recipient IVF cycle utilizes oocytes (eggs) provided by a donor for in vitro fertilization and subsequent transfer of embryos to the recipient. During the Donor/Recipient IVF Cycle, the menstrual cycles of the donor and recipient must first be synchronized. Donors will then undergo ovarian stimulation using hormonal medications, while the recipient receives hormone replacement in preparation for transfer. The donor's response to stimulation is monitored carefully using ultrasound examinations and blood tests. At the appropriate time, the eggs are retrieved from the donor and combined with the male partner's sperm in a laboratory setting for the purpose of fertilization to become embryos. Embryo transfer to the recipient occurs approximately five days after egg retrieval. This is a simple procedure that does not require anesthesia.
Time Commitment
The donor screening process takes two to three weeks, with an additional three-to-four week period for the IVF cycle. During the donor's stimulation phase, the donor's ovarian response is monitored by a series of ultrasound and blood tests. Most cycles require frequent office appointments for these tests, and as the follicles approach maturity, the donor may need to come to the office for brief visits on a daily basis. The donor will also need to schedule a full day for egg retrieval. Although this date can be estimated, the exact date of the procedure will depend on the donor's response to medications. Thus, the donor should be prepared to come to the CWRC on relatively short notice on the appropriate day. Egg retrieval takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and the donor is usually permitted to go home after two to three hours of observation. Following the egg retrieval, the donor's involvement is complete.
Donor Compensation - $8,000
Oocyte (egg) donors do not "sell" their eggs, as it is illegal for them to do so. However, the CWRC's donors receive $8,000 in compensation for their time, risk, and effort in donating their eggs. In addition, all the medical, psychological, and pharmaceutical costs associated with the donor's treatment during the IVF cycle are paid by the recipient(s).
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