Helping someone build their family is a joy that few people get to experience. By being an egg donor, you’re giving someone the opportunity to share love, instill values, and make memories. However, there are certain conditions that egg donors must meet before they can start the donation process. Every egg donor must undergo a screening process to ensure they meet all of the qualifications to donate.
You may not know what to expect from an egg donor screening, but staying informed is a good way to free yourself from being nervous and ensure you’re making a decision you are completely comfortable with. Egg donor screenings vary between agencies, but if you want to ensure you’re working with a reputable organization, consider applying to be an egg donor at Elevate Egg Donor Agency, one of California’s best egg donor agencies. We go above to make certain our donors have fulfilling experiences.
You Will Be Asked to Complete a Detailed Questionnaire
Typically, prospective donors fill out a detailed questionnaire, which the agency then reviews. The questionnaire is generally the initial step, and this questionnaire is used to screen for fundamental conflicts with the egg donation process. Donors that meet their agency’s criteria move forward through the rest of the screening process.
Your questionnaire will likely ask about your educational background, commitment to the process, personality, medical history, and more. Being an egg donor is a long-term and involved procedure that requires you to strictly follow a medication and clinic appointment schedule. Agencies try to discern whether their donor applicants will comply with the guidelines and complete the donation process.
They Will Conduct a Medical Evaluation
Generally, egg donor organizations require applicants to be in good physical health, so you must complete medical and physical evaluations. Once matched, you will undergo a medical examination, including a heart, lung, abdomen, and pelvic examination, and the reproductive endocrinologist will examine your uterus and ovaries using a transvaginal ultrasound.
The medical evaluation will screen you to ensure you have a good chance of successfully producing healthy eggs, to prevent passing infectious diseases to the egg’s recipient, and to see your ability to receive stimulation medications and undergo the egg retrieval procedure safely.
Your physical examination and blood tests will also screen for infectious diseases such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. Depending on ethnicity, donors are often examined for cystic fibrosis and inherited hemoglobin diseases such as sickle cell anemia or thalassemia. The medical examination will also likely check your body mass index (BMI), anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) level, and antral follicle count (AFC), which are factors that predict your fertility.
You Will Likely Have to Complete a Psychological Evaluation
Agencies that recruit egg donors typically want applicants with good mental health and a family history of good mental health. A psychologist will most likely conduct your psychological evaluation. During the evaluation, your screener will compile a thorough family history and other personal data that may be important in identifying key information, like any sign of untreated mental illness in your family history.
You can usually plan your psychological evaluation to fit into your schedule, and some agencies may allow you to complete it virtually. At some agencies, you may be asked to take the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), a personality test that evaluates psychopathological symptoms.
You Will Undergo Genetic Testing and Have Genetic Counseling
Genetic counseling and testing ensure applicants have an ideal family health history and genes. You may meet with your genetic counselor before and after your testing. During your genetic counseling session, you will meet with a board-certified genetic counselor who will screen for a family history of congenital disabilities or hereditary diseases by taking a comprehensive family history.
Donors will undergo genetic testing using a genetic panel. There are numerous genetic tests, but generally, genetic testing looks for variations in your DNA, often known as mutations or variants. It can diagnose a genetic disorder or reveal information about your risk of getting cancer. Results of genetic tests, which are performed using a blood or saliva sample, are often available in a few weeks. After the testing is complete, you can ask for a copy of the report.
Trust the Experts at Elevate Egg Donor Agency to Guide You
Donating your eggs could be the first step in making someone’s dream of starting a family come true. Screening is a vital part of the egg donation process and benefits the donor, the recipient, and, ultimately, the child. Being an egg donor is a big commitment, so the agency you work with should conduct screenings competently. Before you commit, carefully consider which agency you want to partner with.
Put your trust in the experts at Elevate Egg Donors and Surrogates . Our experienced staff can be your guide and ensure you are well informed about what to expect from our egg donation screening process. We are a premier egg donation organization and pride ourselves in being efficient and transparent. To learn more about our agency, call us at (323) 933-8918 or complete our contact form.
