Top Reasons Why Donating Eggs Using In Vitro Fertilization Is The Best Method of Assisted Reproductive Technology
Discover the top reasons why donating eggs using in vitro fertilization is the top method of assisted reproductive technology.
Between the years 1985 and 2015, over one million babies were born due to assisted reproductive technologies, like in vitro fertilization, sperm and egg donation, and surrogacy. For women who choose IVF with non-donor eggs, the chances of having a viable pregnancy and successful birth is about 21%. For women who choose IVF and use a donor egg, the chance for success jumps to 50%. In fact, in vitro fertilization with a donor egg is one of the most successful forms of assisted reproductive technologies available, and has become more and more popular with both heterosexual and LGBT families.
There are several reasons why IVF with a donor egg may be more successful.
First, all egg donors must pass a rigorous screening process. The potential egg donor must not have a history of genetic disease, must not have any infectious diseases--or be prone to infectious disease--must have a healthy BMI, should be between the ages of 21 and 35, and in some cases, have already had a successful egg donation or live birth. Non-smokers and people with no history of drug use are preferred.
There are also criteria established by the Food and Drug Administration that donors, and fertility agencies, must meet.
These criteria can seem pretty extreme, especially since perfectly healthy donors might be weeded out in the process, but there is a very good reason to be so strict with donor requirements. The viability of the donated eggs and the chances for success are much higher when the process starts with the best possible donor traits. Women between the ages of 21 and 35 respond better to the fertility treatments that stimulate the release of multiple eggs, and the lack of genetic or infectious diseases will mean the eggs have not been harmed prior to extraction.
In vitro fertilization works best when the eggs are fresh.
They should be fertilized shortly after collection and then implanted immediately for the best chances of success. It is possible, and often cheaper, to use eggs that have been frozen, but frozen eggs may not result in viable embryos. Agencies that help pair egg donors with prospective parents can smooth over the transition and make sure the hopeful mother is prepared to receive the donation quickly, so it is never required to store or freeze the donated eggs. This increases the likelihood of a successful pregnancy by 20%.
Working with an agency is often in the best interest for all the parties involved.
An agency will help parents select the perfect donors for them, based on anonymous profiles developed after the screening process, and then assist with every step of the process. Agencies usually have a fertility clinic attached, or work with fertility clinics in the area, and can walk you through each step of the journey, from the initial decision, to the negotiation and signing of contracts, to the guarantee of fair and timely compensation for egg donors.
The decision to become an egg donor is certainly a big one and shouldn’t be taken lightly. But if you meet the criteria and you have the desire to make a huge impact on somebody’s life, we highly recommend looking into fertility agencies who are seeking willing volunteers.