The Questions to Ask Before You Choose an Egg Donor Agency

When researching egg donor and embryo donation agencies, it can be difficult to determine which agency is the best fit for you. Many patients choose an agency that was recommended by a physician or friend, an agency that has a specific donor they like, or an agency that offers cycle guarantees or re-matching options.

Other patients are looking for an agency that offers non-traditional programs. Non-traditional egg and embryo donation programs are ideal for patients who cannot afford a 1 on 1 egg donor cycle, who would like to limit the number of extra embryos they have, or who are looking for an alternative to traditional adoption.

Whatever you are looking for, finding the right fit can feel overwhelming, and that is completely understandable. The good news is that there are many reputable agencies across the United States that will help you through the process. Before you commit to a specific donor or agency, though, it helps to understand the whole process, and the questions below can lower your risk and give your egg or embryo donation cycle the best chance of success.

Watch: Miranda Stomp, Senior Manager of Donor Programs, shares the two mistakes she sees most often: choosing a donor before talking to your clinic, and comparing agency fees without comparing what those fees include.

1. If my egg donor does not pass prescreen evaluations, what is your re-matching policy and who is responsible for the evaluations already completed?

It is estimated that about 1 in 4 egg donors does not pass prescreen evaluations. With traditional 1 on 1 cycles, the Intended Parent is responsible for prescreen evaluations completed prior to the egg donor being disqualified. This can range from $300-$3,000. The Intended Parent is then responsible for the prescreen evaluations for the next donor of their choosing. Confirm with the agency which, if any, of the prescreen evaluations the donor has already completed. It is important to also confirm with the egg donor agency what their policy is on re-matching you to another donor.

2. If my egg donor cycle is cancelled once the donor has started stimulation medications, what are my options?

Cancellations are rare, but it helps to know how they can happen. An egg donor cycle may be cancelled after the start of stimulation medications (or right before the start of stimulation medications) for one of three reasons:

• The donor does not respond adequately to the medications and the physician cancels the cycle
  ii. The donor tests positive for drugs or a sexually transmitted infection: all egg donors are screened for both drugs and sexually transmitted infections when they are medically screened. The FDA mandates that donors are tested again within 10 days of the egg retrieval. It is possible for the egg donors to contract an STI or take illicit drugs in between the medical screening and IVF cycle.
  iii. The donor is noncompliant. She may refuse to take the medications or miss appointments resulting in the cycle being canceled.

   

In any of the above situations, the Intended Parent is not responsible for compensating the egg donor, covering the cost of donor medications or ultrasounds/blood tests already performed on the egg donor. 100% of the cycle fee is transferred to another cycle. The Intended Parent also has the ability to use frozen donor eggs or donor embryos to ensure an embryo transfer.

3. Do you offer a multi cycle plan or reduced risk program?

Many egg donation agencies now offer multi cycle plans that allow you to cycle a donor multiple times in the event the first cycle does not result in a positive pregnancy or live birth. The multiple cycle plans are more expensive than a single traditional cycle but act as an insurance plan. You can also inquire if the egg donor agency has access to frozen donor eggs. If they do you can plan to use frozen donor eggs as a back up plan.

At Donor Nexus, we offer the Fresh Matching Program, the Frozen Egg Bank and the Donor Embryo Program, so a backup option is available through the same team if your plans change.

4. For embryo donation: what happens if the embryo does not survive the thaw and there are no remaining embryos from the same batch?

If there are only one or two donor embryos available from your elected batch, ask what the policy is if the embryo(s) does not survive the thaw. We recommend that Intended Parents choose a back up embryo. If there is not another embryo available of your choosing, you will receive a partial refund/credit.

5. If I live outside the U.S., can the agency coordinate a donor egg cycle at a U.S. clinic?

Ask whether the agency works with intended parents who live outside the U.S. and how it handles the donor's side of the cycle from a distance. At Donor Nexus, you can choose any U.S. fertility clinic: for a fresh cycle, our team arranges your donor's travel to your clinic, and frozen donor eggs from our Frozen Egg Bank can be shipped to it. Our guide to international egg donation explains how a U.S. cycle works when you live in another country.

We hope these questions help you compare agencies with more confidence, and our team is always glad to talk them through with you.

If you're exploring donor eggs, our guides to using donor eggs, how our egg donor agency works and our frozen donor egg bank walk through each path, and you can create an account to search the egg donor database whenever you're ready.

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