How do I Become an Egg Donor in North Carolina?

Implanting donated eggs is one of several techniques used to treat couples who cannot conceive a child on their own. Egg donors give infertile couples the chance to experience pregnancy and the birth of a child. Although egg donors feel discomfort after the procedure, agencies offer compensation and emphasize the service donors are doing for infertile couples. As egg donation involves a few risks, donors need to be aware of the dangers and their rights including continued medical care.

Instructions

• 1

  Make sure you satisfy the basic requirements. Egg donor programs have age, health and weight requirements. The University of North Carolina Medical School, for instance, requires donors to be non-smokers and have a body mass index less than 28 (see Reference 1). Most egg donor agencies also set an age range usually between 20 and 30 years of age with some variance on either end. Additional requirements include good physical and mental health and no recreational drug use.

  The University of North Carolina Medical School

  Department of OB/GYN

  Clinic A, 1st Floor NC Women's Hospital

  101 Manning Drive, CB # 7600

  Chapel Hill, NC 27599

  919-966-1150

  med.unc.edu/obgyn

• 2

  Find an agency in your area. The following are a few examples of egg donation agencies in North Carolina: the Donor Source has a presence in several states and the University of North Carolina Medical School and Carolina Conceptions have offices in North Carolina only. You will trust this agency with your health so choose an agency that has qualified medical professionals with years of experience. Also, make sure you know how much the agency is going to compensate you for your egg donation.

  The Donor Source

  Renee Koon

  Senior Case Manager

  Southeast Region & Texas

  877-375-8888

  thedonorsource.com/northcarolinaeggdonor.htm

  Baby Steps, LLC

  Egg Donation and Surrogate Agency

  P.O. Box 731

  Selma, NC 27576

  919-965-3621

  babystepping.com

  Carolina Conceptions

  2601 Lake Drive

  Suite 301

  Raleigh, NC 27607

  919-782-5911

  carolinaconceptions.com

• 3

  Fill out the application. Prescreened applicants must fill out an extensive questionnaire which includes questions about mental and physical health and family history. Some organizations have online applications. After you complete the application, someone from the agency will likely be in touch to discuss any problems or tell you what to do next.

• 4

  Inject the required medications. For egg donation, you must inject hormonal medications to prompt the release of several eggs at a time. Your chosen agency will provide the necessary medications and tell you how to use them. They also will require that you come in for several ultrasounds and blood tests over a period of weeks to monitor your progress.

• 5

  Undergo the procedure to extract the eggs. Egg retrieval is an outpatient procedure that lasts 10 to 30 minutes. Doctors sedate the egg donor and remove the eggs using a needle guided by ultrasound. Recovery is quick, but discomfort from the procedure may persist for several days.

• 6

  Know your rights. Egg donation is not without dangers. The two most common complications are ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome and infection of the uterus. Some complications can affect your future fertility. Know your rights in case a problem occurs during or after the egg retrieval procedure. The American Society of Reproductive Medicine publishes a report on the rights of egg and sperm donors.

  American Society of Reproductive Medicine

  1209 Montgomery Highway

  Birmingham, Alabama 35216-2809

  205-978-5000

  asrm.org