Some fertility clinics may require that the egg donor completes a genetic consultation. This step is completed during the medical screening process. If you are an egg banking donor with Donor Nexus, this step is required at the same time as your psychological evaluation.

What is a Genetic Consultation?

The consultation with the genetic counselor will be completed over the phone. They will conduct a detailed review of your personal and family medical history. The counselor will discuss at least three generations of your family tree.

Topics of discussion may include:

• Ethnicities
• Chronic illnesses
• Cancer

You may also discuss mental illnesses and drug abuse in the family.

Genetic Carrier Screening

After the consultation, the counselor will recommend which recessive genes to be tested, which can be done with an at-home saliva kit or a blood draw. 

If you already completed the testing, the report will state if you are indeed a carrier of the recessive genes that were recommended to be tested for.

Finally, the report will state if there's not any contraindication to you being an egg donor candidate.

It’s important to know that if you and the sperm provider carry the same recessive gene, you will be deemed genetically incompatible.