Thinking about becoming an egg donor?
4/14/2020 ° Why become an egg donor Overview of ° Application and screening Donor process ° Egg donation process Orientation ° Potential medical risks ° Donor recipients ° Psychosocial issues Why become an egg donor?
° You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your gift made a profound difference in the lives of people struggling to become parents.
° You’ll receive compensation for your time and effort.
3 What to expect when donating at UCSF
° We are a nationally recognized academic medical center
° Our ovum donor program has helped patients become parents since 1991
° All of our providers have extensive experience with ovum donation
° UCSF adheres to guidelines established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
4 Application and Screening Process
5 To qualify as an egg donor, you must:
° Be a woman between the ages of 21-33 ° Be in excellent mental and physical health ° Have a healthy family history ° Have a schedule flexible enough to allow for medical appointments ° Be mature, responsible, and dependable
6 What are my responsibilities if I agree to become a donor?
° Be truthful in all portions of the donor screening
° Follow all medical instructions
° Inform us of any changes in your health, medications, or personal situation
° Agree to provide updated contact and medical information
° Agree to being contacted by us in the future regarding your donation Ovum Donor Application
° Submit initial questionnaire
° Submit donor profile application
° Medical records
° Screening consents
° Photos
° School records and confirmation of test scores
8 Orientation and application review
9 Presentation Title Genetic Screening
° Personal and family history intake
° Three generation pedigree generated
° Family history summary letter written
10 Psychology screening appointment
° One hour zoom meeting with one of our psychologists
11 Ovum Donor Screening Exam
° Screening tool
° Photos will be taken for your donor profile
° General history & physical exam
° Blood work: genetic tests and infectious disease testing
° Medical risk consenting
° Follicle count via vaginal ultrasound
12 Final Steps
° If your application is approved , you will be notified by the egg donor team.
- If you then agree to become a UCSF donor, a profile will be created for our database for recipients to view.
° If your application is declined , you will be notified by the egg donor team.
- It’s likely you will not know specific reason for the decline.
13 Matching for an upcoming cycle
° Once you are selected by a recipient you will be contacted
° Before agreeing to match for an upcoming cycle you should consider the following issues:
- Current availability and flexibility of schedule
- Recent and scheduled travel
° If you decide to move forward, you will complete the preliminary paperwork
° Donors can donate up to 6 times in their lifetime
14 Egg Donation Process
15 Female reproductive cycle
Pituitary Gland
FSH E2 Uterus Fallopian Tube
Ovary Endometrium Cervix
16 The Ovaries: Natural Cycle vs. a Stimulated Cycle
VS.
Natural Cycle Stimulated Cycle
17 Will ovum donation impact my ability to have children or deplete my eggs?
° There is no evidence that the procedure itself impacts your future ability to have children.
° Females are born with approx. two million eggs.
° Fertility medications “rescue” a portion of these excess eggs that the body would have ordinarily discarded.
18 Monitoring appointments
° Regular monitoring appointments throughout the process - 7:30-9:30 am daily - Each visit is ~15 minutes - ~6 visits over 10-12 days Egg retrieval (36hrs later) Trigger Injection
Birth Control Pills FSH/LH Injections
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Ultrasound and Blood Monitoring
19 Ultrasound Monitoring
20 Egg Retrieval
21 Fertilization: Conventional vs. ICSI
22 Restrictions and Possible Medical Risks
23 What restrictions will I have during the donation process?
° Once matched:
- Take precautions to prevent risk of sexually transmitted infections (practice safe sex)
- If you engage in sexual activity that puts you at risk for pregnancy, use condoms
- From last day of oral contraceptive pills until the next period: Abstain from intercourse (one month)
- From start of injections until 2 weeks after the egg retrieval: Refrain from activities that involve high impact
24 Medications
° Follicle Stimulation Medications - Follistim - Gonal-f
° Menopur - Human menopausal gonadotropin
25 What are the possible medical side effects to the medications?
° Allergic reactions
° Hot flashes
° Headaches
° Abdominal bloating or discomfort
° Nausea
26 What are the possible medical risks?
° Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS)
° Ovarian torsion
° Injury to bowel or bladder
° Infection
° Bleeding that requires surgery or transfusion
° Ovarian cancer (no known risk)
27 Insurance and Taxes
28 Recipients of Egg Donation
29 Who are the recipients?
° Recipients are people who can’t conceive with their own eggs due to various factors like: - Older age (40s and early 50s) - Diminished ovarian reserve - Cancer treatment - Poor egg quality - Born with non-functional ovaries - Same-sex male couples - Single men
° Often recipients have had extensive fertility treatments with their own eggs without success, or they’ve experienced multiple miscarriages.
° While most recipients are married heterosexual couples, your recipient may be married or single. They may be in a same-sex couple. They may need the help of a gestational carrier. They be of any race, religion, or ethnic background.
30 What will the recipients know about me?
° Recipients will be able to see your profile from a secured donor website
° Your profile will contain: - The questionnaire you completed about yourself - Genetic and medical test results - GPA and educational standardized test results - Blood type - Height and weight - Any photographs you provide plus those taken at UCSF
31 What information is kept private?
° Recipients will NOT receive: - Your last name, address, phone numbers, or email address to protect your anonymity
° Some recipients are interested in meeting their donor - In general, no identifying information will be exchanged at the meeting
32 Psychosocial Implications
Presentation33 Title Legal and Social Implications
° Legally speaking, when you agree to donate your eggs, you are giving up all rights and responsibilities to the eggs, embryos, and any child born as a result of them
° Genetically, any offspring born as a result of your egg donation will be half genetic siblings to your own children
34 What limitations are there in terms protecting my identity?
- Photo recognition software
- Donor Sibling Registry
- Direct to consumer genetic testing (example: Ancestry.com)
35 Presentation Title What about the future?
° We are committed to respecting the needs and desires of our recipients, donors, and their respective families.
° You may be told the outcome of the cycle, but we can’t guarantee that information.
° You may be contacted in the future by us regarding your donation if a recipient or child requests contact. You will have a choice about how this contact will be made.
36 What else should I think about?
° Will I be able to manage the interruption of my daily life during the cycle?
° How will this decision affect my current or future partner, family, and friends?
° How might I feel about this decision in the future?
37 Thank You
° Being an ovum donor is a very generous decision ° Thank you for considering donating at UCSF ° We welcome your questions
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