Finding Egg Donors

Most likely you already have a relationship with a Clinic that specializes in Assisted Reproductive Technology and you have been diagnosed with being unable to use your own eggs or do not have eggs.  In such instances you will have to rely on an oocyte donor for eggs.  Most large Clinics have their own egg donation program. When your Clinic does not have its own program, you can look toward outside help from an independent agency that specializes in egg donation. 

Interview the Agency carefully.  Ask about their fee schedule as well as the range of compensation offered their donors.  Feel comfortable that the Donor is available or will be available in the timeline that you anticipate the fertilization to take place.  Remember that the Donor will not be made available until after the agency fee has been paid.  Remember also that donors are not employees of the agency and that the agency will generally not be liable to you if there is a problem.

Agencies will permit you to review their database to find that special someone who looks like your family and who has demonstrated other traits, such as education achievement.  If you are unsuccessful in your database search, most Agencies have the capability to do specialized advertising to find a donor who has the unique physical and mental factors (phenotype) that you seek.  Common searched for traits include certain races or nationality, perhaps a higher then average IQ,  body type or even hair color (red).  Beyond those traits, most often the donation will be anonymous and you will not learn her name and address.  

When you chose a candidate, she will be screened medically and psychologically before being permitted to participate in your cycle.  Ask the Agency if they will replace the Donor if she does not pass those screenings.  Ask also how many cycles the Donor previously participated in. Under the safety guidelines established by the ASRM, donors may not participate in more than 5 donation cycles.