There are many people who can benefit from fertility treatments that involve donor eggs. Egg donation can help women and couples who cannot use their own eggs for a variety of reasons, as well as men who would like to have a child who is related to them.
If you fit into either category, egg donation could be the ideal family-building tool for you.
IVF egg donation at Dallas IVF can be accomplished using a known/directed or anonymous egg donor. Known egg donors can include relations to the recipient, such as a younger sister or a cousin. Directed donors can also include friends.
If a woman does not have a known egg donor or prefers to maintain complete anonymity with the donor, she can choose a donor through an agency. Dallas IVF works with several large donor agencies in the region.
Indications for use of donor eggs in couples include:
- Premature ovarian failure – Entering menopause prior to age 40.
- Surgically or chemically induced menopause – Ovaries have been surgically removed or the woman has entered into early menopause secondary to chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer.
- Natural menopause.
- Multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles – Lack of success conceiving despite multiple IVF cycles using the patient’s own eggs. This is often explained by poor egg quality.
- Age-related decline in fertility or diminished ovarian reserve – Women who have not entered into menopause but are no longer able to conceive with their own eggs. This group consists of women who do not respond well to fertility drugs.
- Women who are carriers of genetic diseases. These are women who have balanced translocations or genetic diseases that do not wish to pass their diseases on to their offspring and do not want to do PGD through IVF using their own eggs.
Irrespective of whether a couple chooses a known or anonymous egg donor, the donor needs to meet the same screening criteria. The egg donor will automatically be excluded if they smoke cigarettes, have irregular menstrual cycles, are obese, have a history of a sexually transmitted or infectious disease, or any medical problem in their family that indicates a significant chance of passing the disease on to the offspring.
The screening process for the egg donor includes:
- Completing a questionnaire.
- Medical history and screening for inheritable diseases.
- Psychological exam.
- Physical examination.
- Infectious diseases screening according to FDA guidelines.
- Toxicology screening.
Using donor eggs can help close the gap to a family
Donor eggs are a fertility treatment option that can help if you don’t have eggs or you can’t use your existing eggs for some reason. Egg donation can build a family in these specific situations:
- You are facing premature ovarian failure, a term that refers to entering menopause before the age of 40. You have an increased risk of premature ovarian failure if your mother or another close female relative experienced it.
- Your ovaries have been surgically removed or you have entered early menopause due to chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer. This is referred to as chemically-induced menopause.
- You have entered menopause and are no longer able to produce and ovulate eggs.
- You have had multiple unsuccessful IVF cycles, which can be explained by poor egg quality.
- You are facing an age-related decline in fertility or diminished ovarian reserve. Some women who have not entered menopause may not respond well to fertility medications or may not be able to conceive with their own eggs.
- You are a carrier of a genetic disease. You may have a sex-linked heritable disease or a genetic disorder that you do not wish to pass on to your offspring, and you do not want to opt for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, PGD, through IVF using your own eggs.
- You are a same-sex couple who wants to have a child who is biologically-related to you. This is possible with help from an egg donor and a surrogate.
Dallas IVF works with egg donation agencies to find the right donor for each patient
You can ask someone you know to serve as your egg donor, or you can select an anonymous donor. Our fertility center has relationships with multiple agencies that specialize in egg donation. All egg donors from these agencies have undergone rigorous screening to ensure that they are physically and psychologically able to meet the requirements of egg donation.
If you are interested in learning more about building a family through egg donation, please contact us today. Our fertility specialists offer the latest fertility treatments to help you become a proud parent.