If you are a woman between the ages of 21-32, it is likely that you have seen the solicitations for egg donation. Perhaps you are intrigued but uncertain. Prospective Families is a donor advocate's agency with the information you need to become an informed, educated and responsible donor.
The first thing that you need to know is that egg donation can be done anonymously, if that is your preference. You should also know that there is a strong network of practitioners, clinics and other professionals who acknowledge the tremendous gift you would be providing those wishing to build a family. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine has established guidelines for safe and appropriate donation and all clinics, but not all agencies, comply with these guidelines.
Prospective Families is an ASRM compliant agency with extensive relationships with some of the top clinics in the country. I would be pleased to present you to several leading clinics. In order for you to be considered as a prospective donor, you will need to complete a questionnaire, the Donor Profile (click here) inquiring about your health history, family health history and other lifestyle information. You will also need to provide two recent photographs which will be presented to the recipients, without any identifying information, along with your Donor Profile. Following my review of the Donor Profile, I will meet with you so that we are both certain that working together makes sense. If so, I will then arrange for you to sit for a psychological evaluation, in your area and certainly at no expense to you. The psych eval is standard practice, any clinic that you would work with will require that a mental health professional assess that you understand that you are helping another couple build a family without your retaining any parental rights to that child/children and that you are able to meet the commitments of the process.
Once you have completed the donor application and psych eval then you and I will work together on identifying the right prospective parent(s) for you to donate to. I firmly believe that donors are as entitled to select whom they will donate to as much as the prospective parent(s) are allowed the privilege to select their donor. In order for the process to be a true success, this cannot be reduced to a transactional occurrence; rather all parties need to feel good about the collaboration.
Prospective Families will refer you to an attorney who will represent you (at no expense to you) in the negotiations of the egg donor contract and then I will be committed to adhere to the terms of that contract, meaning I will provide all the services you and the prospective parent(s) have agreed you are entitled to. I am an attorney with 15 years experience in advanced reproductive matters and also am the proud mother of twins conceived through infertility treatment. I understand, deep in my heart, what you are offering and have tremendous respect and regard for the donors I work with. You will get paid on time, you will get paid in full, your needs and preferences will be acknowledged...not all agencies hold true to caring for the well-being of their donors, Prospective Families is a donor's advocate agency.
In addition to the information provided on our site, we recommend the following resources as you educate yourself about becoming a donor:
Café Mom.com has a discussion board dedicated to experienced egg donors. They encourage those who have already donated to share their stories and offer insight to those who are considering becoming an egg donor: http://www.cafemom.com/group/32198
Brigham and Women’s Hospital has an educational video about becoming an egg donor. Although some parts are specific to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, it is still has a lot of very good information that may answer some questions you may have:
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/reproductivemedicine/resources/EggDonor/
Demeter Speaks is an organization dedicated to women’s health issues, in particular egg donation. They provide education and additional insight that you may find helpful: www.demeterspeaks.org
There is more information that an informed prospective donor should know before agreeing to participate and I am glad to share that information with you through this website, on the phone or in-person, if you prefer.
All web site design, text, graphics, the selection and arrangement thereof, and all software are Copyright 2006 by Collaborative Conceptions, Inc. dba Prospective Families. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any any use of materials on this Web site, including reproduction, modification, distribution or republication electronically or in any other format, without the prior written consent of Prospective Families, is strictly prohibited.
We are pleased to introduce our new Prospective Families Proprietary Donor Database. Browse our entire list of donors. View photos and other profile information. Search for donors who match your specific criteria. Even save your own secure private list of donors.
The database requires registration. Click here to get started (opens in a new window).
