Why Choosing the Right Agency Matters
"We don't sugarcoat the process here," says Nazca Fontes, President of ConceiveAbilities (www.conceivabilities.com). "It's true you are compensated for your efforts as an egg donor. That's because there is considerable effort involved." However, the side effects are not as extreme as many people think.
Here, she and other experts in reproductive medicine and fertility address the most common misconceptions about egg donation:
| Myth
| Truth
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| Egg donation will use up all of your eggs |
"Because every woman who has a somewhat regular cycle and menstruates is losing eggs all the time, we're stimulating eggs to mature that would have been lost anyway," says Serena Chen, M.D., director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrine and Infertility at Saint Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, N.J. |
| Egg donation is not anonymous |
Reputable agencies work hard to maintain the anonymity of both donors and recipients. At ConceiveAbilities, identifying information provided by donors is deleted from information shared with the intended recipients. "However, for those wanting varying degrees of openness, that option is also available," Fontes says. |
| Egg donation will prevent you from having your own children |
Infertility is fairly common, with 15-20 percent of women experiencing related problems. So although donors might face fertility challenges at some point in their lives, "there is no evidence it has anything to do with egg donation," says Chen, who's also an associate clinical professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. |
| The only reason to become a donor is financial |
"Many donor candidates have told me that they answered the ad
because they thought the money sounded good, but when they learned about the process and the waiting couples, they realized that it was much more than just for money—it was also a major good deed and 'gift'," says Marie Davidson, Ph.D., staff psychologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois.
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| Egg donation is a very risky procedure |
As with any medicine, there can be adverse side effects, but, says Dr. Chen, "significant complications are very rare. In fact—both short- and long-term, it's not a very risky procedure—as long as you go with a reputable program." |
| Egg donation is incredibly painful |
"It's relatively mild pain since it's not an incision or surgery," says Dr. Chen. "After, just taking some Tylenol or Advil helps, because you might be a bit crampy or bloated." Adds Julie Lasch, R.N., of Fertility Centers of Illinois: "Most donors return to school or work the following day." |
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