What You Should Know About Egg Donation
The Fertility Center of Las Vegas offers various fertility treatment services, including egg donation. Many of these procedures are only possible through the help of an egg donor or sperm donor. Healthy donors are a huge help to infertile individuals and couples who want to start a family. Let our fertility clinic tell you more about what to expect from the process.
If you are considering becoming an egg donor, here are some things you need to know before making the commitment to visit our centers in Las Vegas.
Who is eligible to become an egg donor?
Egg donors should be healthy women between the ages of 20 to 29. They must be non-smokers and be generally healthy. Egg donation programs also look for women who are responsible and compliant, as they should be completely ready for the commitment of donating their eggs.
Who will use the eggs I donate?
The person who will receive your egg is most likely going to be a woman who has trouble producing enough of her own eggs to get pregnant. However, the condition of the recipient’s infertility will vary from case to case.
Will the intended parents know who I am?
Most of the time, programs receive donations from anonymous donors. The recipients may obtain general information about you, but you will not know each other’s names. There may also be the choice to decide the privacy and communication options you prefer.
How are donors matched with parents?
Intended parents will look for certain qualities in their egg donor. Intended parents may want donors who look similar to them, sharing their ethnicity, height, body build, eye color, hair color, hair texture, etc. At The Fertility Center we treat patients from all over the world which is why we recruit egg donors from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.
What is the egg donation process?
When you are selected to donate your eggs, you will complete a medical screening and share your medical history. You will also receive ultrasounds to evaluate your eggs’ production. You will be prescribed fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries to produce many eggs at once.
Egg retrieval happens when your eggs are fully mature. Retrieval requires a minor medical procedure, allowing you to go home the same day.
Once your eggs are collected, they will be mixed with sperm (either from the intended father or a sperm donor) in the lab. If embryos are created, they will be implanted into the uterus of the intended mother or a surrogate.
How will donating my eggs affect my life?
Egg donation is a commitment. Because the intended parents have dealt with infertility, they may have been unsuccessful in previous treatments. They’re relying on you to help them with the process. Once you agree to go through with the process, you will take medications at home to stimulate the ovaries. You will have frequent blood tests and ultrasounds. You must not drink alcohol, take any drugs or smoke cigarettes during the process.
What are the legal and financial considerations?
Another step of the process is signing contracts with your egg donation program and/or recipient. These contracts will detail your responsibilities, and they are legally binding. You may also sign confidentiality contracts. After the eggs have been removed, you have no more responsibility for them.
Some eggs donors sign agreements that allow no communication after the eggs are retrieved, while others wish to stay in communication with the recipients even after a child has been born. It is up to you to decide how much contact you want from the intended parents.
What is the compensation?
Egg donors are compensated for their time and effort, not the eggs themselves. Ask The Fertility Center for more information
Egg Donation Resources
Becoming an egg donor is a selfless and helpful act. It’s a way you can help a family in need, and allow them to start a family. If you are considering being an egg donor, contact us for resources on the best egg donor services Las Vegas has to offer.
