Donor Eggs

Genesis Fertility Centre provides a known donor egg program for couples where it is felt to be an appropriate treatment option. Some indications for using donor eggs include:

• Repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles involving poor egg or embryo quality
• A risk of transmitting a chromosomal or genetic disorder
• Poor response or diminished ovarian reserve
• Early menopause, elevated day 3 FSH or an abnormal clomiphene challenge test
• Removal of the ovaries
  

At this time, Genesis Fertility Centre cannot recruit or accept anonymous donors. However, eligible patients may have a friend or relative who is willing to act as their donor (known donor). This is not an easy decision – and not one to make alone. Besides the medical and nursing staff, our clinic psychologist will be involved in assisting couples and potential donors to examine the issues surrounding this option.

Donor Egg Program Outline
The following information describes the program requirements and limitations:

Genesis does:

• Accept donors who are friends or relatives of recipients. A relative may be a sister, cousin or niece, but must not be the recipient's daughter nor a blood relative of the male partner.
• Accept donors who are 35 years of age or younger to optimize the chance of success. Donors must undergo blood tests and vaginal cultures to rule out infectious diseases and hormonal abnormalities. The results of all testing must be available before any treatment starts.
• Screen sexual partners of potential donors for HIV 1 & 2, syphilis and Hepatitis B and C.
• Require and provide psychological counseling for donors (and their partners, if applicable) and recipients to address potential issues and concerns regarding short and long-term consequences of treatment.

Genesis does not :

• Accept a donor who is the daughter of the recipient.
• Accept a blood relative of the male partner.
• Accept donors who are over 35 years of age.
• Accept donors who have been contracted by the recipient through advertising or other agencies.
• Accept donors who are being paid for their involvement. Payment to egg donors contravenes impending Federal Legislation.
• Provide psychological screening to assess donors for personality disorders, psychological instability, etc. This is routinely done by anonymous egg donor programs, but is not offered when the egg donor is well known to the recipient.
  

If a recipient couple does not have an acceptable known donor, we can provide information on other clinics that offer Anonymous Donor Egg Programs. In most situations, we are able to facilitate blood tests and ultrasound monitoring to enable recipients to spend less time away from home.

We recommend that all parties seek legal counsel prior to starting treatment. All parties are required to sign Genesis Fertility Centre consent forms.

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Screening
Screening of all parties is done in an attempt to minimize the risk of disease transmission and to optimize the outcome of a pregnancy. It is, however, still possible to transmit diseases such as HIV or hepatitis from the egg donor to the recipient. To eliminate this risk, the recipient couple may choose to cryopreserve (freeze) the embryos and quarantine them for a period of at least six months to allow for repeat screening of the donor.

Scheduling Treatment
A treatment cycle may be scheduled when screening and counseling of all parties has been completed and final approval is obtained from the physicians and counseling staff. Medications should not be purchased until advised to do so.

RECIPIENT PREPARATION AND TREATMENT

Once approval is attained to go ahead with a treatment cycle, a "target" month will be identified for the donor and recipient. Several weeks before, the recipient's menstrual cycle will be suppressed with a medication called Depot-Lupron. This medication helps to synchronize the recipient's menstrual cycle to the donor's cycle. At a later time, the recipient will start taking a tablet called Estrace (a form of estrogen). Estrace helps to build up the lining (endometrium) of the uterus. A vaginal ultrasound procedure is performed to confirm appropriate growth of this lining. On the day prior to the donor's egg retrieval, the recipient will begin another medication called Prometrium. Prometrium, which is a natural form of progesterone, prepares the uterine lining for implantation of an embryo and early pregnancy.

The recipient’s male partner must be available on the morning of the donor’s egg retrieval to provide a semen sample for insemination of the eggs. Fertilized eggs (embryos) will be transferred to the recipient’s uterus three days after the egg retrieval. A pregnancy test will be done 16 days after embryo transfer if the recipient has not begun menstruating.

DONOR PREPARATION AND TREATMENT

Once the "target" month is identified, the donor will be given detailed information about her medications and how to take them. The donor's menstrual cycle is suppressed to coordinate her cycle with the recipient’s and also to prevent ovulation before egg retrieval. The donor will be instructed on how to give the injections to herself. Daily injections of FSH and LH are given for ovarian stimulation as with a standard IVF cycle and the egg retrieval performed as for an IVF cycle.

It is important for the donor to avoid intercourse or to use reliable non-hormonal contraception (IUCD or tubal ligation) throughout the treatment cycle and until her menstrual period resumes so there is no chance of unplanned pregnancy occurring during the month she donates eggs.

Cost of treatment
Please refer to our fee guide.

Although no two cycles are exactly the same, medication costs for the donor and the recipient usually range from $2500 - $4000 for each cycle. You should check with your extended benefits carrier to see if any of the drugs are covered, to what extent, and for how many treatment cycles.

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