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The Criteria For Egg Donors

2018-01-12
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ConceiveAbilities - Determination
##Desire to Help So you are interested in providing another family with the incredible gift of parenthood through egg donation. Good for you! Donating your eggs is an incredible way to positively and profoundly impact the lives of others. And just by possessing this desire, you have successfully satisfied the first requirement of egg donation.

Age

The next consideration is your age. Age is one of the most important factors affecting a woman's fertility and so it makes sense that you see it at the top of most donor qualification lists. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that egg donors be between the ages of 21-34. Most fertility doctors will closely adhere to the ASRM's age range suggestion, and recommend an even more conservative age range for donors. At ConceiveAbilities, we have established close collaborations with top fertility clinics nationwide, and follow the more conservative age criteria set forth by these medical professionals by working with donors between the ages of 21 and 29.

Health and Wellbeing

The next set of requirements really boils down to your physical and emotional well being. Acceptance into ConceiveAbilities' egg donor program requires that you have: regular monthly periods, no reproductive disorders or abnormalities, a BMI under 29, and that you are a non-smoker, among other health criteria. Just as important as these physical health indicators, we also require that you be in a "good place" emotionally, with a stable lifestyle.

Grit/ Dedication

Another good portion of most egg donor qualification lists really boils down to having "grit" and "dedication". A successful egg donor has to be "in it for the long haul". The whole thing works best when an egg donor is truly committed to doing all she can to help her intended parents. Focusing on the enormous good that you are doing for someone else helps ease the temporary discomforts inherent in the process.

As an egg donor, you can anticipate mandatory early morning clinic appointments, self-administered injectable medications, and twilight sedation for your retrieval. If you are light in the grit department or get squeamish just thinking about having your finger pricked, then egg donation may not be for you.

Records / Known History

Acceptance into ConceiveAbilities' ED program requires that you are able to provide your most recent (within the last 12-24 months) pap smear results, a complete list of all medications taken, currently and within the last five years, as well as thorough medical health histories of your biological parents, grandparents, and siblings. Do not stress if you do not have these items on hand. Your twenties is a hectic decade and we find that most donors have to make a few calls (to their old doctor's office or their parents) before they can accurately report on all of these items.

Open to the Donor Sibling Registry

Like most other reputable agencies, ConceiveAbilities does require that our donors be willing to enroll in the Donor Sibling Registry. The DSR does not mean the end of your anonymous match. It is simply a platform for mutual, consensual contact between people born from anonymous sperm or egg donation. Learn more about the DSR on their website.

Supported

If you are in a committed relationship, ConceiveAbilities does require that your partner be aware of and supportive of your intention to donate your eggs. We know how important the full support of the people in your life is for you and for the success of your cycle, so our intake teams make certain to ask about this item directly.

Limitations / Birth Control and Zika

Lastly, a few disqualifying variables. We can not work with ladies currently using Implanon or Depo-Provera (birth control), nor can we work with ladies who have traveled to a Zika infected area within the last six months or have future plans to travel there within the next six months. Visit the CDC to learn more about areas with risk of Zika.

We understand some of these requirements or expectations may seem strict, but understand that our selectivity is designed to cultivate the best candidates for egg donation, to ensure the safety of all parties involved. While the journey may seem challenging, the feeling of being able to help another family’s dream come true is a feeling like no other.

To learn more about egg donor requirements, read our full list here.

To learn more about egg donation process, visit our page here.

And if you fit these criteria and feel you’re ready to become an egg donor, sign up on our page here.