5 Little-Known Facts About Egg Donation

These days, there are plenty of options available to those who are having trouble conceiving a child all on their own. While the frustration of failing to get pregnant can be extremely stressful, knowing that there are other ways at making it happen can provide some level of comfort. There are all sorts of reputable fertility clinics around the country that employ a variety of methods to help these couples conceive, and one way is through egg donation.

The process of egg donation might not exactly be as well known as in vitro fertilization or surrogacy, but it’s certainly a viable option. Perhaps you’ve spent a lot of time reading up on the process, or have come across articles in magazines about it. While you might think you know all there is to egg donation, there are most likely a number of things about it that you are not aware of.

Here are 5 lesser-known things about egg donation that you may not have necessarily known about.

1. You Can Choose to Have a Relationship with the Donor - or Not

It’s up to you whether or not you choose to develop and continue a relationship with your egg donor. In fact, an increasing number of donor agencies offer more than one type of egg donation. Three in particular have become popular, and here is a brief run-down of each.

• Known Egg Donation - You and your egg donor will know each other’s names, and can even get to know one another.
• Semi-Known Egg Donation - The information that is shared among the parties is limited. This could include keeping contact information discreet, but perhaps meeting in person at the fertility clinic.
• Anonymous Egg Donation - No contact is made between the parents and the egg donor. Only first names are used in contracts, which is exchanged strictly through the agency.

2. Egg Donors Have No Legal Rights to the Baby

Parents have the peace of mind knowing that the egg donor cannot decide after the fact that she would like to have parental rights to the child after birth. Contracts are always completed through agencies to make sure there are no unwanted surprises. Parents retain all legal rights over the eggs that the donor gives, as well as any resulting embryos. Intended parents can then use these as they see fit.

3. More Egg Donors do it for Philanthropic Reasons Than for Money

There is a common misconception out there that all egg donors donate their eggs strictly for the money. However, this is not true for many donors. Plenty of them do it for altruistic reasons, and have a genuine desire to help couples who are unable to conceive a child on their own.

4. Donors Go Through In-Depth Screening

Not everyone can donate their eggs. Agencies conduct thorough screenings to ensure that the women who are donating their eggs pass stringent tests and meet strict criteria. This all begins with psychological screening, which includes a standardized true/false test, as well as a social work assessment. After passing these tests, donors go through medical screening to make sure they are healthy. This includes blood work, a urine sample, ultrasound, and so forth.

5. Not Just Anyone Can Become a Donor

There are strict rules in the US regarding who can and cannot become an egg donor. Reputable agencies demand women to have the following requirements:

• Be a US citizen
• Be between the ages of 20 to 29
• Have a healthy body weight
• Have no known medical pr psychological conditions
• Be educated

There are many others, but these are the basics.

Being an egg donor is a wonderful gift for parents who have trouble conceiving on their own. Couples who are looking for a way to become parents can choose egg donation through a reputable agency, like The Reproductive Medicine Group.

About the Author: Joan Johnston had a desire to help couples conceive their own child, so she decided to become an egg donor with The Reproductive Medicine Group. If you would like to become an egg donor, consider donating your eggs with The Reproductive Medicine Group today!

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