1. Medical Evaluations
The medical evaluation is often completed on days 1, 2, or 3 of the egg donor’s menstrual cycle at the intended parent’s designated fertility clinic. If your selected egg donor lives out of state, your physician may require her to fly in for a one-day medical screening. At times, the physician will not require the donor to fly, specifically if the donor has cycled before. We will orchestrate the donor’s travel arrangements and/or any pretesting that needs to be completed at a fertility clinic close to the donor’s home.
The medical evaluation includes:
• An ultrasound assessment of the uterus and ovaries
• Ovarian reserve testing:
To ensure that the egg donor is a top producer of eggs, the donor has ovarian reserve testing done which consists of a blood test looking at follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), and an antral follicle count (AFC). The antral follicle count is a special ultrasound where the examiner counts the number of resting eggs the donor has. These three tests allow us to reject any egg donor not likely to have a good response to fertility medication, greatly reducing the risk of poor response or poor egg quality.
• State Mandated Infectious Disease Screening & STI Testing:
The egg donor is screened for HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HTLV 1 and 2, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea as well as other health screening labs.
• Drug Screening:
The egg donor is screened for drug use, including opioids (heroin, morphine, prescription narcotics), cocaine, amphetamines, and marijuana.
• Genetic Carrier Panel:
The egg donor is interviewed by a certified genetic counselor to identify egg donors who may have an increased risk for genetic diseases. The genetic counselor then recommends any specific tests needed for that specific egg donor based on her family history and ethnicity. In addition to these specific tests, the egg donor also is screened for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, Fragile-X, and a multitude of other genetic diseases. The results of both the genetic counselor’s report as well as the blood tests are available for review by the intended parents. Learn more in this blog post: What if My Ideal Egg Donor Is a Genetic Carrier?
• Physical Examination:
The egg donor will undergo a standard physical examination to ensure that she is healthy. We also perform a pap smear if the donor hasn’t had one done in the last 12 months.
• Consultation with the Physician or Nurse Practitioner:
The donor will receive injection training to prepare for injecting medications. The donor will also be interviewed and examined by a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility subspecialist.
• Comprehensive Medical Questionnaire:
The medical questionnaires will be used to determine the family history of the donor.
3. Legal Consultation
The donor will have a legal consultation with a designated reproductive law firm that allows the egg donor to speak with an attorney to review her contract so she understands her rights and responsibilities before, during, and after her cycle.
Egg Donor Prescreening Timeline
The prescreening evaluations can take up to 3 months to complete, depending on the donor’s menstrual cycle. The donor may or may not be put on birth control pills.
