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DONOR EGG IVF PROGRAM: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Who can be a recipient?
In general, any woman with a medical or genetic indication for using an egg donor can be a recipient, if there are no medical contraindications to pregnancy. Our current age limit is 55 years. The decision to utilize donor eggs is made in association with GIVF staff and consultants. If a male factor exists, donor egg IVF with ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection into the eggs) is also available. Non-surgical sperm aspiration (NSA) can be used in association with ICSI if the husband has a vasectomy and wishes to avoid surgical reconstruction, or if he has certain other causes of absence of sperm in the ejaculate.
Who are the egg donors?
We have made a huge effort to provide a large selection of screened donors. They are primarily recruited from colleges and suburban communities, including many young women with Doctoral level educations. Information available to you on all donors includes physical characteristics (height, weight, hair color and type, body build, and blood type), ethnic background, educational record, occupation, special interests, audio interviews, childhood photos and in 2004, adult photos. You can view our donor list on-line.
How is the donor egg IVF procedure done?
Recipient couples are asked to select one or more donors whom they find suitable. One of the selected egg donors will be offered to a recipient couple upon availability of the egg donor. Final approval of the specific selection is always made by the recipient couple. The Institute staff will coordinate the cycles of the donor and recipient to accomplish fresh embryo transfer whenever possible. Synchronization of cycles includes using a series of medications to facilitate a hospitable uterine environment for transfer of embryos. All viable eggs produced in a single donor cycle are inseminated, and all embryos belong to the recipient couple. If there are embryos in excess of the number for safe transfer, cryopreservation of additional embryos is available and is strongly advised. Cryopreserved embryos can be used for subsequent attempts at pregnancy whether or not the fresh transfer is successful.
How affordable is donor egg IVF?
Financial Information Donor egg IVF cycles are priced as single cycles or as part of our superb Donor Egg IVF Pregnancy Guarantee Refund Program, sometimes known as Pregnancy Guarantee™. Unlike most Pregnancy Guarantee Programs, our program offers patients the opportunity to receive a full refund of all donor associated fees as well as cycle costs in the unlikely event that they do not have a baby. A detailed description of financial options is enclosed. GIVF’s financial counselors would be pleased to talk with you about which program is best for you.
GIVF’s donor egg IVF coordinator is available to answer your questions, arrange a telephone or on-site appointment or provide you with additional information on any aspect of GIVF’s donor egg IVF program. To reach the donor egg IVF coordinator, please call (800) 552-4363.
Is gender selection an option?
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is available on-site at Genetics & IVF Institute, which has one of the world’s largest and most experienced PGD laboratories. PGD is a form of prenatal diagnosis performed on early embryos prior to implantation in the uterus and initiation of pregnancy. PGD can be used to prevent disease and for family-balancing.
MicroSort® and PGD may be combined to increase the number of embryos of the selected gender and ensure that only embryos of that gender are transferred into the uterus.
Your Donor Egg IVF Coordinator will be happy to discuss options for family-balancing with you.
MicroSort®
Developed by GIVF, MicroSort® is GIVF’s exclusive preconception technology for sorting sperm to increase the likelihood of conceiving a child of a particular gender. MicroSort® may be of particular interest to patients with a family history of gender-linked genetic disease. Currently in clinical trial, MicroSort® is available only to patients who meet the requirements for clinical trial participation. MicroSort’s patented technology separates sperm into those that produce females and those that produce males. Sorted specimens enriched in male or female-producing sperm are then used for intrauterine insemination or for in-vitro fertilization. Study data so far indicate that patients who wish to have a girl are successful in conceiving a female baby 9 out of 10 times; those seeking a boy are successful approximately 3 out of 4 times. Participation in the clinical trial is limited to married couples with a documented history of gender-linked disease or to those who meet the criteria for MicroSort’s family balancing component.
(Caution: This process uses an investigational device. Limited by federal law to investigational use.)
Why chose GIVF's donor egg IVF program?
GIVF’s extraordinary expertise in genetics provides donor egg IVF patients with benefits not available at most other donor egg IVF treatment facilities. Every donor is screened by a board certified geneticist and donor egg IVF patients always have the opportunity to meet with one of GIVF’s certified genetics counselors. The counselor will review the patient’s family history, the biological father’s family history and the donor’s history and answer any questions the patient may have about heredity.
The GIVF Cryobanks
Patients who need to use donor sperm in conjunction with donor eggs will benefit from the vast selection of donors available through the Genetics & IVF Institute’s Cryobanks, including Fairfax Cryobank and Cryogenic Laboratories, Inc. Fairfax Cryobank is the world’s largest provider of donor semen, with more than 150 diverse, fully-screened donors available and it is conveniently co-located with the clinical facilities of the GIVF Donor Egg IVF program.
Emotional Support
GIVF offers emotional support for patients considering or using donor eggs. A free, monthly donor egg IVF support group at GIVF is facilitated by a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who specializes in working with individuals and couples who are dealing with infertility. The counselor is also a donor egg IVF mother. Patients and their partners are encouraged to attend the free meetings where they can meet other donor egg IVF parents, listen to guest speakers and share their experiences, thoughts and feelings. Individual counseling sessions are also available at GIVF by appointment. GIVF makes other services available to support patients through infertility and donor egg IVF treatment, including massage, mind-body classes and acupuncture.
Genetics & IVF Institute provides patients with everything they need for a donor egg IVF cycle: a large selection of available donors, highly skilled physicians and the vast resources of the world’s largest, fully-integrated provider of infertility and genetic services.
GIVF offers patients:
Infertility and Assisted Reproduction
• Evaluation of male and female fertility, including state of the art testing
• IUI, IVF, ICSI and Non-surgical sperm aspiration
• Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to improve pregnancy outcome
• Donor egg IVF (with immediate availability, including donors with advanced degrees and ethnic donors)
• Donor insemination
• Blastocyst transfer
• Recurrent miscarriage prevention
Fairfax Cryobank
• Frozen donor sperm – a vast array of donors,
all tested with the nation’s highest screening standards
• Embryo storage
• Sperm storage for cancer patients
Gender Selection by MicroSort®
• FDA clinical trial
This procedure uses in investigational device limited by federal law to
investigational use.
Andrology
• Semen analysis for fertility
Clinical Genetics & Fetal Diagnostic Center
• First-trimester screening
• Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
• Amniocentesis
• Genetic sonograms
• Genetic counseling
• Family evaluations
Extensive additional information on our very well-known donor egg IVF program is available now. Please contact GIVF at 1-800-552-4363, fax (703) 698-0418, or by e-mail at givf@givf.com.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Donor Egg IVF Pregnancy Guarantee
Monthly Support Group Information Click Here
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