Kristie McNealy, MD

If you’ve had difficulty conceiving, and have decided to consider egg donation, you might be wondering how you’d ever manage to find or choose a donor. I don’t think there is any one way to make that decision, but there are some different options you might want to consider.

Using an Agency

Egg donor agencies charge a fee to unite couples with pre-screened egg donor candidates, and they also arrange contracts, scheduling and any necessary travel arrangements for donors. Most agencies work with couples to find what they are looking for in a donor, and provide profiles of potential donors that match this criteria. Typically, they have collected health and lifestyle information, photographs and family histories from prospective candidates. In some cases they have already done medical screening as well to make sure that donors are generally healthy and their ovaries are producing follicles with each menstrual cycle. Agencies may have different tiers of donors, with “premier” donors having qualifications like advanced degrees or previous successful cycles. Typically, donations set up through agencies will be anonymous, in the sense that you will not meet your donor in person. In some cases, there may be contract clauses that will allow you to meet if both parties agree.

Finding Your Own Donor

If you’d prefer to avoid the added costs of working with an agency, or you would like to meet your donor in person before making a decision, you can always locate a donor yourself. Recipients can advertise for donors in college newspapers or online. If you decide to go this route, you’ll need to be prepared to screen all of the candidates on your own, and you’ll need a lawyer to write up a contract and terms. If you decide to go this route, your fertility clinic will be able to provide you with basic donor criteria to help you with your search.

Your Fertility Clinic

Some fertility clinics manage their own pool of donors, but the way they distribute eggs or embryos varies. They may be able to connect you with an individual donor, but in some cases, donor eggs are distributed as they become available, without regards to who the donor is. In some cases, fertility clinics also have frozen embryos donated by previous IVF clients.

Donor Qualities

Every person who looks for an egg donor will have a different set of qualities they desire in that individual. Some prefer to choose a woman who most resembles them. They may look for someone with a similar career or educational background, a similar childhood, a specific hair or eye color or specific likes and dislikes. Others prefer to choose a donor who excels in something like athletics or academics, or who is particularly beautiful. However you make your decision, the most important part is being comfortable and content with the person you choose.

If you’re looking for more information on the egg donation process, you can read more in parts 1 and 2 of this series.

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• Donor Eggs Part 1: Learning About Egg Donation
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