Did you use a known sperm/egg donor? Can we ask you some questions?

DearHusband01 · July 2016

Hi there, my wife and I are TTC, and we found out that I have azoospermia and can't have biological children. So we are considering using a known donor.

But there are so many questions about what this path will look like. So we're looking for people who have done it in order to speak to them.

Not sure if we'll find anyone on this board. But if this is you, could you let us know if we could PM you some questions? Or if you just want to leave some comments about your experience, that would be great. Either would be a gigantic help for a life altering decision for us.

Thank you!

Angelic789 · July 2016

Hi, DH! I'm sorry you found yourself here but welcome anyway. I cannot say I've experienced the thing with the known donor. We applied for the treatment abroad, Biotexcom, Ukraine more than a year ago. But we had the opportunity to choose among the donors there. Of course the last word was after our dr. But we've got to know about every smallest detail about the lady giving her egg. Could this be considered to "known donor" as for you? If yes I'll be pleased to help you as was once absolutely in your shoes looking for info. In our case dh was/is super ok. It's me who failed - dx endo and PCOS. But this nightmare ended a couple of months ago when we became parents of a wonderful boy.
The path is emotionally draining. You should be prepared for different things. But fertility clinic's donors always made me feel more confident as they go through loads of testing And it's really good to be sure of every other issue. Our donor has 1 healthy baby on her own (they call it proven fertility). We know everything even her college degree and her kid's talents, just everything.. Well, there are quite a lot of things you should be aware of going with donor egg ivf. I'll send you some of them to see how complicated the process for donor selection is. Good luck by now

Angelic789 · July 2016

I guess the list is not completed but it really helps to make a head or tail of how clinics select donors. Here is what should be asked during 1st app. Are donors used legal residents of the country you’re going to apply for treatment in? What is the age of the donor? Does the clinic allow you to use the donor you bring into the program or do they require other options? How many times can a donor be used? Is the donor tested for the AIDS virus, CMV, hepatitis A and B, chlamydia, venereal disease, syphilis, serum karotyping and blood type and day 3 FSH? Is a drug screen done on the donor? If you are using a donor from a donor egg matching program, and the donor has been tested by them, will the IVF clinic require additional or duplicate testing at their lab? Are all eggs from one donor used for one recipient or are the eggs split between recipients? If they are split how are they divided? Is there a primary and secondary recipient? How many eggs are guaranteed a recipient and, if there are less, is the fee reduced? How long are medical records kept on the donor? Is the donor aware that, as in adoption, laws may change that could allow the child access to information about the donor at a specific age? Does the clinic maintain contact with the donor? (I guess this is important if we think we would want to use the donor again in the future.)..

Angelic789 · July 2016

Another previously made research which I found helpful at the initial stage of getting into the process. Medical factors for the recipient:
'All recipients, regardless of age should have a complete blood count, blood test for HIV, hepatitis B and C, cytomegalovirus, rubella, toxoplasmosis and RH factor before starting a donor egg cycle.
Do you have any health problems that would be affected by a pregnancy such as cardiovascular disease? Are you on prescription medication, etc?
If you are over 40 and are considering the donor egg options, make sure that you have a current electrocardiogram, mammogram, glucose tolerance test and chest film.
Have you talked to an obstetrician about the risks relating to pregnancy, labor and delivery for women in your age category?
Have you discussed the risks of multiple births, which is quite high with donor eggs? Have you asked about the miscarriage rate after embryo transfer?
Has your husband or partner's semen been tested lately?
Will the clinic use estrogen and progesterone to prepare the endometrium lining of your uterus. Will the clinic require a mock cycle first? Which type of estrogen is used?'
Hopefully this might help you/your lovely wife

susykat77 · July 2016

If by known donor you mean someone you know in your day to day life then no, I have not been through that. We did however select an egg donor but it is anonymous and I'm happy to answer any questions, if I can help.

PNW12RN · July 2016

DearHusband01 We are in the process of using a known donor (my sister) for eggs. I did an egg retrieval just prior to starting chemo, but just had an unsuccessful ET of my only surviving embryo, so this is our only option going forward.

My sister is a few years younger and offered to donate her eggs. She has actually been a surrogate twice in the past for others (gestational surrogate--sperm/egg came from the parents; she just provided the uterus).

This is definitely a big decision, and I think the 'known' part in some ways makes it trickier. This way, I figure I have 25% genetic connection with my future baby (since my sister and I come from the same genes), not that it will really matter once the baby is here. My brother's eldest daughter is not biologically his, but I have never seen anyone with a stronger bond. That child is beyond a doubt the light of his life.

Also, I KNOW my sister's genetic background/medical history. I worry about anonymous donors--who knows if they are telling the truth?? They may not disclose mental health or other issues that are prevalent in their family--there is really no way to know if their info is verified, or what is missing.

That is a big reason why we are going with a known donor. It is about $10k less to use a known donor (at my clinic, anyway), but we are paying about $10k to build a genetic probe (PGD) to screen for a BRCA mutation, so it ends up being about the same.

Did you use a known sperm/egg donor? Can we ask you some questions?

Re: Did you use a known sperm/egg donor? Can we ask you some questions?

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