One of the unexpected perks of being an egg donor is having the opportunity to learn about your own fertility. Most young people don't know much about their own fertility, solely because they don't have a reason or opportunity to undergo those screenings.
Fertility screening is one of the steps you take before officially going onto our donor database. After filling out our intake form and having an intake call with one of our Donor Coordinators, donor applicants will then fill out a longer questionnaire with questions about your family medical history.
After filling out the longer questionnaire, you will meet with one of our Donor Coordinators for a longer, 90 minute Zoom call to go over everything about being an egg donor.
After the Zoom interview is when you will do the lab screenings.
Lab Screening
The lab screening will be done at a local clinic near you, and will be paid for by us (there is no out of pocket cost for the lab screening). You will go in for an appointment there where they will do a blood draw and take a urine sample. The lab will check your health to make sure you are a good candidate for egg donation. They will run a CBC panel and check for infectious diseases such as STD's, check your blood type, and check your AMH level.
AMH
AMH stands for anti-mullerian hormone and is a fertility indicator. The labs will check your AMH level to determine if you are eligible to be an egg donor. Typically for egg donation, we like to see AMH between above 2 and under 15. A solid AMH is an indicator that the follicle count is where it needs to be, and that the person will likely respond well to the IVF medication.
Something to note about AMH is that it also fluctuates during a woman's menstrual cycle, so within that 2-15 range the number doesn't really matter. During the match cycle, the clinic will also do follicle counts to monitor your progress.
Genetic Carrier Screening
While you are matched with an intended family, one of the screenings that you will do is a genetic carrier screening. This is usually done via a saliva sample. The screening panels range in size, with most testing between 300-700 different genes. The purpose of this screening is to make sure you are not a carrier for the same thing as the intended parent, but it is also an opportunity to learn about your own genetics.
Learning About Yourself
Throughout the egg donation process and even just in the screenings to become an egg donor, you undergo comprehensive health screenings that give you valuable insight into your own health and fertility. Many young people don't have the opportunity to learn this much about their health.
Having the opportunity to talk to family members about your family medical history (as well as a genetic counselor while matched) can be revealing, and provide valuable information that you may not have known before.
All of the information that you learn can be helpful for planning your future, family planning, and overall health awareness.
If you are interested in becoming an egg donor, click here to apply.
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