If you've decided to become an egg donor, or are considering egg donation, you are probably looking into egg donor wanted ads. Your first exposure to the idea of egg donation may have even been through an egg donor wanted ad.
But before you pick up the phone and answer an egg donor ad, you need to do some research.
Is Egg Donation For You?
The first big question is whether or not egg donation is right for you. Women decide to donate for a number of reasons, with the best reason being the desire to help a couple have a baby.
However, when your first exposure to egg donation is through an egg donor wanted ad, there may be a tendency -- at least at first -- to focus on the cash.
The cash for egg donation is given in exchange for all the time and effort you go through when donating your eggs, and there's a good reason for that. Egg donation involves a lot of time and effort!
Before you pick up the phone to answer an egg donation ad, do some research about what will be expected from you first. Egg donation is not for everyone.
Anyone Can Place an Egg Donor Wanted Ad - Do Your Research
When answering an egg donor wanted ad, keep in mind that anyone can place an advertisement. Also, there are very few regulations on who can be egg brokers. Not every egg donor agency or fertility clinic is the same. Some are better than others, and some ads may not be from legitimate companies at all.
What can you do to research an egg donor wanted ad?
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If an ad mentions the name of a clinic or agency, you can do a web search first. A professional looking website isn't a promise of anything, but it helps. Look to see how much information is provided on the website. Is the process clearly explained? Does the website look like someone put a lot of thought into it, or does it look quickly slapped together? Are they upfront about compensation and egg donor requirements and risks?
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When you call up the agency or fertility clinic, ask about the staff. How long have they worked in assisted reproduction? What training and credentials do they have? Ask them for references. If they won't give you the names of women who have donated in the past for them, be wary.
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Find out how the compensation for egg donation is handled. Is it held in escrow by a legal firm in good standing?
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Speaking of compensation, how much does the ad offer? The American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) suggests egg donors receive between $3,000 and $8,000. They say offers over $10,000 are not acceptable. If the ad offers $10K or more, keep in mind that this goes against guidelines. You should be very suspicious of compensation promises above $25,000.
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Ask around. Ask other students, ask your own gynecologist. They may have heard good (or bad) things about a particular clinic or agency. Whatever you do, don't trust the information you gather from online people. Clinics and agencies have been known to place "scouts" on message boards. That online pal telling you how great a clinic or agency is might not be a real egg donor or fertility patient.
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If they are a fertility clinic, check to see if they are members of the ASRM and Society of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART). You may also want to check their success rates at the Center for Disease Control's website. You may think this doesn't apply to a donor, but a good success rate for the patients may mean a better experience for the donor as well.
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If they are an egg donation agency, check to see if they are listed here on the ASRM website, which means they have signed an agreement to abide by the guidelines for egg donors written up by the ASRM and SART. Being on this list does not guarantee that they abide by the guidelines (no one verifies whether or not they follow through), but it's still good to see them listed.
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The New York State Department of Health gives licenses to egg donation agencies, even those outside of New York. They are in fact the only licensing currently available. The licensing is handled by the Blood and Tissue Resources Program, and you can contact them to confirm whether or not an agency has their license. (If an egg donor agency outside of New York does not have a license from New York State, it's not a bad sign. But having one is certainly a good one.)
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Use common sense and follow your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable when you call or meet with an agency or clinic, or if anything doesn't feel right, don't move forward with them.
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Be sure to ask all your questions before agreeing to medical screening and before signing any contracts. If the answers don't feel right to you, or if they won't answer your questions, don't go through with anything.
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Do not agree to meet with anyone alone, and do not give your information to just anyone. Check them out before you disclose personal information.
Beware of Very High Compensation Promises in Egg Donor Wanted Ads
I mentioned this above, but it's worth repeating. You should be wary of egg donor wanted ads that offer very large sums of money, or anything greater than $10,000.
Most egg donor wanted ads promise compensation, anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, and this is the normal range. The ASRM says that compensation about $5,000 must be justified, and that payment above $10,000 is not acceptable.
That said, you may see egg donor ads offering much higher compensation rates, as high as $25,000 (at the very, very high end.)
You should know that even if you answered these ads, there may or may not be someone offering to pay that much for your eggs. It may be meant to lure you into answering the ad, and aimed at only applicants that meet very specific criteria (like perfect SAT scores or members of a particular religion or ethnicity.)
Don't Be Afraid to Look Beyond the Egg Donor Wanted Ads
Even if your first exposure to egg donation is through an ad, don't feel limited to answering just what you've seen in the paper.
If egg donation seriously interests you, consider calling up local fertility clinics and asking them for advice. (Not sure who to call? Ask a doctor your trust, your family doctor or your gynecologist.)
You can ask the fertility clinics if they handle egg donors themselves, or if they work with particular egg donor agencies. Meet with a few agencies or clinics before deciding who to donate with.
Becoming an egg donor is a huge decision. Don't feel rushed, and take the time you need to research your options.
Sources:
2008 Guidelines for Gamete and Embryo Donation: a Practice Committee Report. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Accessed December 2, 2010. http://asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/News_and_Publications/Practice_Guidelines/Guidelines_and_Minimum_Standards/2008_Guidelines_for_gamete%281%29.pdf
Becoming an Egg Donor. New York State Department of Health. Accessed December 2, 2010. http://www.health.state.ny.us/publications/1127/
Interests, obligations, and rights of the donor in gamete donation. Ethics Committee. American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Accessed December 2, 2010. http://asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/News_and_Publications/Ethics_Committee_Reports_and_Statements/interests_obligations_rights_of_donor.pdf
Carol Fulwiler Jones, MA, LPC, LMFT. http://www.TheInfertilityCounselor.com Email Correspondence/Interview. November 8 and 10, 2010.
Lisa Greer of Beverly Hills Egg Donation, LLC. http://www.bhed.com Email Correspondence/Interview. November 6 and 28, 2010.
Theresa M. Erickson, Attorney, Counselor at Law. Email Correspondence/Interview. November 5, 8, and 19, 2010.
Wendie Wilson, President of Gifted Journeys. http://www.giftedjourneys.com Email Correspondence/Interview. November 8, 2010.
