For the Donor (Women Who Desire to Donate Their Eggs)

Quick links to our Donor sections: . Overview . Donor Qualifications . Becoming a Donor

Overview

At Advanced Fertility Care we have the utmost admiration and respect for those young women who decide to help others by donating their eggs. It is the philosophy of the practice that every donor is treated with the respect they deserve. From your initial encounter with our Donor Coordinator, you will be able to see that we are dedicated to your care.

Becoming a donor can sometimes feel like a very complex and overwhelming process. Our job is to guide you through the process and alleviate any of your concerns. By becoming a donor, one takes on a significant amount of responsibility with the knowledge that there is another couple who is depending on them to help them bring their baby home.

Dr. Zoneraich feels very strongly that every donor that enters our program receives personalized care. While our screening measures are thorough, we do this to maintain the highest standard of care for all our patients.

First and foremost is the health and wellbeing of our patients, including our donors. We will never deviate from that philosophy. Along those lines, we have decided to provide every one of our donors, at our expense, with health insurance during the course of their treatment at Advanced Fertility Care. We know that our donors are young women, and not all of them are in positions to have their own insurance coverage or able to afford medical coverage should complications arise. This insurance is provided for the purposes of any unforeseen complications related to the treatment cycle. Every procedure has its risks; while donating eggs is extremely low risk, we are not in the business of gambling with our patients.

The remainder of this page describes eligibility criteria for potential donors. Feel free to contact us at (877) 717-BABY or (480) 874-BABY with any further questions or concerns.

Donor Qualifications (and form)

You must meet ALL of the following criteria to be eligible to apply to become a donor:

• Age 18-28 year old healthy female
• Non-smoker (this will be tested for repeatedly during our screening and randomly during our treatment cycles)
• Live within the state of AZ
• No current use of psychoactive drugs
• Must have readily available own transportation to the office
• No history of substance abuse; no tattoo or body piercing within the last year 
• Must be responsible and able to follow directions
• Must meet height and weight requirements as listed below:

Becoming a Donor

Initial Questionnaire:

If you meet all the eligibility requirements as listed above, please complete the online version of our Donor Application. Once we have processed your application and you have successfully passed your screening questionnaire, we will send a complete information packet for you to fill out. This packet will ask very extensive questions relating to your personal medical, family, and genetic history. You will also need to attach both a baby and recent photograph to the questionnaire. Upon completion of the application, please return it to us using the enclosed self-addressed and stamped envelope. We will also send you a privacy statement and contact permission sheet so we know how you preferred to be contacted.

Interview and Tour:

Once your entire application is reviewed, our Donor Coordinator will schedule an interview with you at one of our offices. At this time, the donor coordinator will explain the enrollment process as well as screening and cycling procedures and expectations. There will also be a discussion of the risks and complications to becoming a donor and you will be given the opportunity to ask any questions or voice any concerns. If you desire, a brief tour of our main facility in Scottsdale will also be arranged. If you have donated at another fertility center previously, please let us know and we will try to respect your time by minimizing your required visits. Thus, we will schedule this appointment to coincide with Day 2 or 3 of your cycle so we can proceed with initial testing (see next paragraph for details).

Ultrasound and Consultation with Dr. Zoneraich

Once you decide to proceed with egg donation, you will be instructed to call us on Day 1 of your next menstrual cycle. If you are normally taking oral contraceptive pills, we will ask you to go off of them for 1 month prior to being evaluated. Dr. Zoneraich will see you on Day 2 or Day 3 of that cycle in order to meet you in person and perform a short transvaginal ultrasound. You will then have a consultation with Dr. Zoneraich at which time the risks and complications of egg donation will be reviewed and you will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns or answer any questions you may have. We value your time and effort .

Additional Testing

Once you pass the vaginal ultrasound screen and agree to participate in the donor program, we will proceed to draw your blood for hormone testing of your ovarian reserve. Once you have passed both the ultrasound and blood screening, we will ask you to complete the remaining screening items:

1. MMPI (personality test) and  IQ Test
2. Psychological Screening with our psychologist / social worker
3. Complete History, Physical and Genetic Counseling

This will include Blood testing for: HIV, Hepatitis B & C, Syphilis, CMV IgG & IgM, Blood Type, Rh factor, Drug screen, Cystic Fibrosis, Thallasemia, Sickle Cell, Tay Sachs Disease, Chromosomal Analysis, Fragile-X. Cervical cultures for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea will also be performed as will a Pap Smear without evidence of normal Pap within the last year.

Stimulation Cycle

Once you have been chosen by our recipient couples, the entire donor cycle will span the course of approximately six weeks. You will be in contact with our Donor/IVF Coordinator and will receive a schedule of treatment. During the first three weeks of the schedule, you will be taking an oral contraceptive pill daily followed by a once daily under-the-skin injection of Lupron, a medication that prevents you from releasing eggs naturally during the cycle. While you are on the oral contraceptive pill, you will schedule an appointment with one of our clinical staff in order to learn how to give yourself the under-the-skin injections (subcutaneous) and learn how to mix the medications appropriately.

The stimulation of your ovaries begins after you start a period as a result of taking the Lupron. An ultrasound will be performed by Dr. Zoneraich on the second or third day following the start of your period at which time you will be instructed to start your stimulation medications. If you need a refresher on injection technique, our staff will do that at this time. You will continue taking your Lupron injection while adding the stimulation medication - these are injected in the fatty tissue of your abdomen. We will ask you to come back five days from the start of this medication for a repeat ultrasound and blood work, then again two days later. At this point we will likely switch you to daily visits for approximately 2-4 more days. Your monitoring appointments will be scheduled in the early morning, usually to be completed prior to 10:00 am. Adjustments to your treatment will be made daily by Dr. Zoneraich after review of your results.

The Egg Retrieval

Once your follicles have reached a certain point, you will be instructed to take another medication called hCG at a specific time in the evening. Your retrieval will then be scheduled exactly 35-36 hours after this injection time. The egg retrieval is performed at our Scottsdale location within our fully licensed Surgery Center. A Board Certified anesthesiologist will insert an IV and provide light IV sedation for the procedure. You will be breathing on your own the entire time, however you will feel no pain or discomfort. The procedure is performed by Dr. Zoneraich by passing a thin needle under ultrasound guidance through your vaginal wall into your ovary and aspirating the egg containing fluid from each follicle. The entire retrieval usually takes no more than 20-30 minutes and recovery period usually lasts 30 minutes to 1 hour. Some women will experience spotting and cramping (similar to menstrual cramps) after the procedure and we require that you have someone with you to drive you home. We ask donors to abstain from intercourse for at least 1 week after retrieval and to use condoms during intercourse for the subsequent 2 weeks. You will resume oral contraceptive pills on the evening of the retrieval. A clinical staff member will call you on the following day to check up on your status. We ask you to return in 1 weeks after retrieval for a follow-up ultrasound examination with Dr. Zoneraich.

Compensation

Upon successful completion of the egg retrieval and follow-up ultrasound visit, each donor will receive compensation in the amount of $3500 for your participation in the program.