Donor Oocyte Program
Donor Egg or Oocyte Programs were established to assist couples whose female partner cannot produce eggs. In this program, a donor, known or unknown to the couple, volunteers to undergo a procedure similar to IVF: medications, ultrasound monitoring, and egg retrieval. The eggs from the donor are then fertilized with the sperm of the recipient’s partner or with sperm from a sperm donor, and the resulting embryos are transferred into the uterus of the recipient.
Egg/oocyte donors, known or unknown to the couple, must pass evaluation and testing procedures similar to that required of sperm donors. She must be between the ages of 18 and 30, report a negative medical history for genetically transmissible (inherited) diseases, current infection, malignancy (cancer), substance abuse (drugs, tobacco, alcohol, etc.), medication use, and prior chemotherapy or radiation therapy. In addition, she will be tested/screened for sexually transmitted diseases. Insofar as possible, the donor’s physical characteristics will be matched to yours. If you recruit your own donor, you must assume the responsibility to screen your donor’s background and decide if they are acceptable to you. Ultimately, the physician will give medical approval for all donors.
The physician may also provide an anonymous donor for any couple who requests it. It is important to know that anonymous donors, at the discretion of the physician, may provide eggs for more than one recipient.