Thinking About Becoming an Egg Donor? Make Sure You Know These 7 Things
Donating eggs seems a kind act for those who are not able to conceive a child on their own. But becoming an Egg Donor is not as easy as you think. It is not all about going to a clinic and just provides your eggs. There is a whole lot more process, requirements, precautions, and guidelines on who is eligible to donate eggs.
So, if you are thinking about it, you need to know a few important things before heading for egg donation.
1. Egg donation is a highly regulated process.
When it comes to donation, the FDA treats eggs just like any other organs and there are a lot of rules and regulations to become an egg donor.
2. There are three ways to become an egg donor.
You can donate your eggs through an agency, a clinic, or directly. While agencies are basically headhunters, there are also clinics that offer donor service. If you can manage, you can also directly donate your eggs to a family member or friend. When you go for an agency or a clinic, appropriate compensation should be made on the basis of the local cost of living and should cover lost wages, mileage, parking, and other expenses.
3. Egg donors are recommended to donate only six times.
It is both for the health of the donor and also so that there won’t be a bunch of half-siblings walking around without knowledge. There is no national registry or forced disclosure policy in Houston, so parents are not required to tell about it to their children. The guidelines shared by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends a donor limitation to 25 live births per population area of 850,000.
4. You need to go under a series of psychological and physical screenings.
Doctors need to make sure that you are of sound mind and comfortable going through the donation process. They may also check your travel history to ensure that you haven’t been to a Zika-affected country in the past 6 months.
They check your blood, do an ultrasound to see how many eggs you have, and the likelihood of getting a good outcome.
According to FDA regulations, you may be deemed to be ineligible if you have tattoos or piercing where sterile procedures were not used in the last 12 months.
5. Only a small percentage of people are eligible to donate.
This is because of the strict screening process. Only about 10% of people who do an initial screening make it to the second step and only 10% of that second group makes it to the actual donation process. Sometimes women don’t meet age requirements and sometimes, they don’t live locally. BMI requirements are also responsible for a lot of dropouts.
6. STI history also plays a role in egg donation.
Although doctors screen for STIs, the tests they run are mostly focused on HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. FDA regulations exclude people who have been treated for gonorrhea or chlamydia within the past 12 months. In case you test positive for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C or syphilis, you cannot donate as these infections can be passed on.
7. Best women candidates are the graduated ones between 26 to 32 years of age and have regular periods.
Since egg donation is a big decision, donors over the age of 25 are preferred because they are potentially more mature. While BMI requirements vary from one clinic to another, the recommended BMI is 24; however, it is not cut-off. Though BMI is not the only indicator of good health, it can impact the ease of the egg retrieval process. Plus, recipients also prefer to pay a donor who they view as healthy.
So, becoming an Egg Donor is really something that you should decide carefully with an open heart and mind. Since it is about a child to-be-born and your health, you should never make your decision solely based on financial purpose.