A woman’s ability to produce healthy eggs can be hindered by many conditions: disease, genetic abnormalities, absence of ovaries, ovarian failure or age. For some women, egg donation—in which eggs retrieved from an anonymous or non-anonymous donor are transferred to the recipient—becomes a viable option.

MacDonald Women's Hospital's Department of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (REI) has a successful egg donation program. We provide the highest quality of clinical care and support services for donors and recipients, along with exceptional standards for donor screening and matching to recipients. Our physicians, nurses, and laboratory staff are uniquely skilled in advanced infertility.

Screening
We require a comprehensive, multi-step screening process for all egg donors: a thorough examination of past medical, genetic, familial, social, educational and reproductive histories, as well as infectious disease screening. Donors must also receive a consultation by one of our physicians; a complete physical including but not limited to a pap smear, cervical cultures for sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia and gonorrhea and blood work for HIV, HTLV, syphilis, hepatitis, drug toxicology and blood type; and an extensive psychosocial evaluation by one of our psychologists. There is no charge for this testing. Volunteers who are found to be suitable for the program go on the egg donor waiting list.

Not all women can donate eggs. Our policies are designed to increase the chance that a pregnancy will result and that the process will be safe for both donor and the recipient. A donation does not occur unless a donor is accepted, is matched with a woman who will receive her eggs and gives written consent.

Donor Checklist
The questions below serve as a "self-screening" egg donor eligibility checklist. If you answer "yes" to all of the questions, we invite you to call 216-844-7240 to complete the next step in the screening process. You may also contact the Egg Donor Coordinators with any questions you may have.

• Are you a healthy woman between the ages of 21 and 31?
• Are you a non-smoker?
• Do you fit these height/weight guidelines?

Height	Approximate Weight
5'0 and under	90 - 150 lbs.
5'1" - 5'4"	100 - 170 lbs.
5'4" - 5''7"	114 to 185 lbs.
5''7" - 5'10"	125 to 200 lbs.
5'10" - 6'0"	136 - 215lbs.

• Have you had only one or no sexual partner in the last six months? Do you have regular menstrual periods - about the same time every month, every 26-35 days?

• If you have undergone tattooing, body piercing or acupuncture, has it been longer than a year since any or all of the procedures have been performed?
• Are you comfortable giving yourself injections with a small needle under the skin during the egg cycle?
• Do you have a Social Security number?

Time Commitment
The donor screening process takes two to three weeks, with an additional three to four week period for the IVF cycle. Donors are fully apprised of all of the possible risks of being an egg donor as part of the informed consent process, which occurs before the cycle begins. The actual donor egg cycle will begin after we match a donor with a recipient couple, based on a number of relevant criteria.

A nurse orders the necessary medications and schedules a session with the donor for detailed, personal instruction on the steps associated with the cycle, proper timing and administering of medications and duration of treatment. Most cycles require frequent office appointments, and as the follicles approach maturity, daily visits may become necessary.

A full day is needed for egg recovery. The exact date of the procedure will depend on the donor’s response to medications. Recovery of the eggs takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, and the donor is usually permitted to go home after two to three hours of observation. Following the egg recovery, the donor’s involvement is complete.

Egg Donor Compensation
The recipient couple pays for all of the medical, psychological, pharmaceutical and other costs associated with egg donation. In addition, the donor receives $5,000 per egg retrieval cycle to compensate for time, effort and inconvenience.