Samantha Carolan was 23 and fresh out of graduate school when she decided to donate eggs to an infertile couple. Ms. Carolan concedes that she would never have done it if not for the money, $7,000 that she used to pay off some student loans...
Ethicists and some women’s health advocates worry that lucrative payments are enticing young women with credit-card debt and steep tuition bills to sell eggs without seriously evaluating the risks...
“One of the most striking facts about in vitro fertilization is just how little is known with certainty about the long-term health outcomes for the women who undergo the procedure,” a recent report by the Institute of Medicine said...
The reluctance is understandable. The process of egg extraction is time consuming, and it is not comfortable. For some women, it can be painful. A woman first has to take medications to stop her menstrual cycle and then daily hormone injections for several weeks to stimulate her ovaries to produce a crop of mature eggs at once.
The drugs may cause bloating, weight gain, moodiness and irritability, and there is a risk of a rare condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome that can cause life-threatening complications, blood clots and kidney failure...
And since egg donors go through much the same process as women trying to conceive in vitro, there are concerns that they may be prone to the higher rates of certain cancers that some studies have found among infertility patients. Still, said Dr. James A. Grifo, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology at the New York University School of Medicine, “There is no credible evidence of long-lasting effects or health consequences down the line.”
That does not necessarily mean that the procedures are safe.
“There’s no health-outcome data collected by anybody other than some voluntary reporting, and there’s no postmarket testing on how these drugs are being used,” said Susan Berke Fogel, co-founder of the Pro-Choice Alliance for Responsible Research, a project of the Public Health Institute in Oakland, Calif.
In a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, a Harvard Business School professor said the controversy over the price of eggs was obscuring questions of women’s health. The author, Debora L. Spar, an economist who wrote “The Baby Business” last year, calls for more studies of the drugs being used, more long-term follow-up of donors and federal regulations to ensure proper informed consent....
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56 comments:
That's a dangerous procedure indeed. And just for the sake of money?
Those women who donated their eggs may not be aware of the dangers included, but I think it's still their responsibility to find out about it if they really value their health.
It's one risky business indeed. If they had any concern about the health they could have done a research about it and it's harmful effects before deciding.
I keep on going back to oral contraceptives when it comes to women's health. They are marketed like crazy and all doctors and nurses seem to talk about are the health benefits while serious side effects are brushed under the rug.
Seems to be the same philosophy with the fertility industry. Heavy marketing, tons of photos of moms with their healthy twins, and not much else is talked about. I think of it as brain washing. These poor young girls that just want to pay off credit card debt and undergo this procedure for women who believe they are infertile - I feel sorry for them.
Ali
Yes, Ali! I was in the OBs office today and saw an ad for a BCP for ACNE!!!! Acne also often suggests hormonal imbalance, or, in my case, wheat allergy....eeek.
I agree that desperate women are most likely the ones who do it. It’s not surprising how far they would go for the sake of money. We know that there are even others who risk their life
oh yes, plenty of people dying or ruining their health in drug trials and things
I was an egg donor.
I am a law student and the daughter of a perinatologist (MD specializing in high risk maternal-fetal medicine). I am not poor. I did not need fee money to pay off credit card debt. I spent considerable time researching the risks, speaking with other donors, and speaking with physicians. The couple that received my eggs gave birth to healthy twins a year ago.
While it is certainly the case that donation sometimes goes horribly wrong, it is misleading to characterize donors as naive little girls coerced into donating by their own debt or poverty. There are many intelligent women who become donors for altruistic reasons.
Thank you to 1l@utlaw:
We met an egg donor such as you. Her older sister was never able to have a child. The donor's altruistic motives have allowed otherwise childless couples to experience the miracle of having their own child.
My name is Kelly Bazely and I am a journalism student at the University of King's College in Halifax. I'm currently working on a story on students becoming egg donors to pay off student loans, much like this one. I'm having some difficulty, however, finding a student egg donor to talk to. If any of you are, or know a student egg donor, I would really appreciate any help you could offer me. I'm just looking at doing a phone interview so I can learn about the more personal side of being an egg donor. And if the author of the blog reads this, do you think the student you talked to would be willing to talk to me? My e-mail address is: kbazely@excite.com. Please let me know, I would really appreciate your help! Thank you so much.
What is the big deal with having you OWN kid?????.... its really not YOURs so just fucking adopt....
I am an egg donor twice now. I did it for one couple and then I did it for the mom's sister as well. It was not about the money, but if I can share something that I have with someone that doesn't have it, that makes me happy. People could adopt, but then it wouldn't be the husband's child either. Most of the time the woman chooses someone who looks similar to them. I have had no health problems at all since either one of my procedures. Not even any pain or anything. I think it's pretty rare to have these side effects you speak of, and I think it is very immature to assume we are all naive little girls that don't know what we are doing. I went through a donation center that was very honest with me about the risks of everything. I'm a grown woman who researches things before she does them.
Thanks for your comment and I hope you continue to have good health!
I was also an egg donor. While it is easy to assume that young naive girls are easily sucked into the process, there are many psychological tests that are taken as well as many, many meetings with doctors and a psychologist who inform you of the risks. I did not go into this blindly, nor did I do it for the money. No amount of money could have made me do the nightly self-injections, or endure the pain of excessively huge ovaries. Thinking of the families who would receive my eggs made me charge on. Sadly, I had a stay in the ICU due to complications with hyperstimulation, and though that experience certainly upped my pain tolerance, I have never regretted being a donor,
Thanks for the comment--very helpful! If I may ask (and readers may wish to know) what kind of complications you had?
thanks,
marie
I am also an egg donor. It took me two years of thinking and researching before I decided to donate. Compensation is nice, but not my main motivation or I would have done it immediately. When I did donate, I requested the lowest amount suggested by my agency. I'm the kind of person that wants to share something if I don't need it, and with egg donation, there is plenty to give and still have it for yourself. I wrote a blog about my whole experience at www.asianeggdonations.blogspot.com.
Also, here is a guidebook that the NY Dept. of Health released about egg donation to help women be more informed about their decision and know about all the risks: http://www.health.state.ny.us/community/reproductive_health/infertility/eggdonor.htm
Lastly, here is a website regarding a fertility study on egg donors after they donated: http://www.ivf1.com/egg-donor-risk/
i agree that women should know the risks. as a young single mother i am considering this procedure. its not so much for the sake of money as it is for the sake of my son which at the moment are directly related. some may be thinking that the risks arent worth my son losing his mother but if i cant financially take care of him he'll lose me anyway. the money to take care of my son with is well worth the risk in my opinion
women imagine if you were infertile and could not have children of your own... how would you feel? what would you do? I am considering donating eggs and do not consider the money as a big factor rather than giving someone a chance to have a child... for society today we are so wrapped around monetary things and things of no importance.. money is paper, and nothing more, but to have a dream to be a mother and be granted the wish of having a child through egg donation holds more account and more substance than any amount of paper you could throw at someone. I would do it for free if given the oppurtunity. Realize that its not the credit card bills and student loans but rather giving a fellow woman the dream the chance that someone my age hopes to accomplish and fulfill later in life. for all of you who are saying that poor girls do it for money, stop being ignorant and realize that there is more to life than money... the ability to do what, we as women were granted, with a uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries.. that one day we will be able to have a child of our own, and being a possible egg donor myself granting another woman that dream is my only reason for doing so.
Thanks for your comments--nice to have different perspectives from ALL dies
I donated my eggs once, and I will do it this year again! Is not about money! I really feel glad that those people could have they own child!
I feel sorry about those people that think is a bad option!
I did a bid research before do this procedure, and I talked to many doctors before start it!
sometimes woman can't conceive but she wants a child from her partner, and is because they make the decicion of a egg donor!
There are so many risks in life.. birth controls pills are also very responsible for cancer, and people still take them!
So, why people are so shocked about these??
Like any thing in life, without trained and professionls overseeing the process - every thing can be risky.
Egg donation done with under the care and supervison of fertility specialists is not a risky process.
Egg donors are adequately informed and have a thorough session to have every thing explained to them in detail.
Egg donors are not naive little girls. Egg donation is a generous deed and the motive for egg donation is more for ultruistic reasons. Egg donors do get a donation, but it is more of a gesture of thanks.
Egg donation in South Africa is a very careful and sensitive process with much care for both egg donors and recipients.
Jenny Currie
baby2mom
www.baby2mom.co.za
I am really glad I fount this website. I was really considering doing the donation untill now.They offer 8,000 per cycle up to 6 cycles here in Minnesota.I am in college right now, but I must say after reading the article weew, no thank you.
Wow, I'm a little appalled they'd let you go for *6* cycles...
I donated my eggs twice, back in 2000 and 2001. The first cycle resulted in a single pregnancy and the second cycle resulted in twins. It was awesome! I never had any side-effects and I successfully conceived my own child with no complications at all in 2006.
Yes, I did get paid for it...but I did not need the money to pay off debts or anything like the girls in the article. I stuck the money in my savings account and eventually used it towards a down payment on a home a couple of years later. My point is that MANY donors don't do this just for the money. It has a lot to do with the satisfaction of helping others as well. I would not hesitate to do it for free for a friend or family member of mine.
Also, as you state in the article, MOST egg donors (and I'd like to point out that the term is donors...not "donaters" as the article states)are college or graduate school students. We are not talking about a naive, uneducated group of women here. I graduated with a 3.97 when I received my Bachelor's of Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education. I am now about to apply for a Master's in Marriage and Family Therapy. College students tend to research things MUCH more than an average person, because that is what we do all day long for our classes, lol. Besides, most recipient couples will only chose a women with strong SAT/ACT scores and a high college or high school GPA.
To say that young women have misconceptions about the egg donation process is a misconception in itself. As you can see from previous comments on here, and from what I have seen in fellow donors, we are all well-informed about the risks. But in my opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks involved. The only way a donor can really be harmed is if hyper-stimulation occurs, but that only occurs in about 5-6 percent of donors, and the doctors monitor you thoroughly to prevent that from occurring in the first place. I have never had any negative side effects from being an egg donor.
I am currently researching to become an egg donor and yes a big part of it for me is the money I have a young daughter and I'm trying to go back to school and start my own daycare and in this process I've racked up credit card debt but that is not blinding me to the risks. I'm still undecided but I thought it would be a nice way to make some money I know the joys of being a mother can't imagine being denied that feeling and the women still gets to carry the baby and bond with it while its in her womb so i think its a great alternaative if natural conception isn't an option.
Im glad to see the many opinions, experiences, and stories here. Im hearing a lot of, 'its not about the money'. And i cant tell whether its a defense mechanism going up or not. I know that the encounters in my life so far dictate a money driven world which we live in, and few and far between have I met the ones that aren't. So I cant help but lean to the $$ side. One question, what was the money used for? I only heard from one person that they saved it to buy a house years later. Lets be honest here. Its not natural. Its interfering with the natural way of life. Plain and simple.
I am a 21 year old Junior in College and I am currently thinking about donating my eggs. I was having a conversation with my roommates at home and they mentioned this procedure, which I had no idea about, and it made me consider the possibility of undergoing it. I have been reading about the risks and health complications tied to it but also about the great joy it could bring to a family. To be honest, the conversation came up because I mentioned I had once considered becoming a surrogate mother. I mention this just to show that my initiative did not come from the lucrative factor, but once my roommate mentioned that there is a big compensation for it, it immediately brought my student loans to mind. I have to admit that $5,000 would come in very handy to a broke college student, but although we might be young and inexperienced to some extent, we are not stupid... After all, we are in college for a reason, aren't we?
The reason for this long post is because would really appreciate to be contacted by a donor who could tell me her experience. I am worried about having complications when I do want to have a baby since I am not yet a mother. I would also like to thank all the donors who have shared their experience in this blog.
If one of you could please contact me, my email is natica@ufl.edu
Thank you so much!
this is a great discussion and i am appreciating the perspectives offered. what i am aware of is that most women reading "green fertility" blog and taking part in an online discussion are very well educated, health conscious individuals, not naive girls. there may be, however, many naive girls or other women deep in debt out there who donate and have not read this blog or posted to this discussion...
Hello,
I am in the process of becoming an egg donor. I would have never considered the procedure, had my sister not gone through her own infertility dilemma. Something about giving yourself hormone shots daily is freaking weird. :>
She was deeply depressed, and tried in-vitro twice with no luck. She asked me to donate eggs to her; I agreed to do it should she need it. But, fortunately she was able to use her own eggs. She now has 2 healthy babies.
Now I would like to help another family have a child, or children. Nothing would make me happier. I was fortunate enough to meet the intended parents, I felt an instant connection with the intended mother, and it was amazing. My partner came with me, we were all part of the decision making.
Most donors are fairly well educated not only on the process, but on the known possible side-effects. Yeah, there is still not much known on long-term side-effects, but personally I don’t think they are any worst than birth control. Which is constantly feeding yourself with hormones from horses urine. Which I think is the worst thing ever. Personally natural family planning is the way to go; yes it is much more work. But the long term side effects are those of learning about your own processes, and making it easier for you to detect any problems.
Also, as altruistic as I may sound, money is in fact a factor. I don’t care what the other women may say, but if they were in it only because of their kind hearts, they would not request any money. Am sure it could be worked out. Yeah, a great part of me is so excited about being part of this miracle, but it’s also great that this money could help me get into the college.
i apprecciate people who like to share.putting a smile on a sad woman's face is a great effort on the part of the donors even if they are been compensated.however doctors should try and identify long term risks and find solutions to them. franka.univ.of ghana
I am currently considering becoming an egg donor for my beloved cousin whose ovaries have stopped functioning prematurely. In many countries, including the UK and Australia, it is illegal for donors to receive money in exchange for donation (beyond covering travel costs, days off work etc). There are still many people in these countries who choose to donate eggs.
Thanks Sara, this is really interesting. I wonder if this way makes more sense...
we're literally giving up our unborn child in order to go to college or to own a home...
how bad is it to be in debt? or to be poor?
or, on the other side, to not give birth to your husbands biological child?
i think this problem stems from wanting more than we have.
there is so much life that needs nurturing now that is HERE on this already over-populated planet.
we're literally giving up our unborn child in order to go to college or to own a home...
how bad is it to be in debt? or to be poor?
or, on the other side, to not give birth to your husbands biological child?
i think this problem stems from wanting more than we have.
there is so much life that needs nurturing now that is HERE on this already over-populated planet.
I donated eggs in 1997 and at 19 years old, I was motivated by the cash (I got paid $2500 which was a lot to me at the time but seens hardly worth it now). I was never informed of any long term risks, and the doctor told me it was entirely safe. I never underwent any type of psychological exam or even met with a counselor. I DID however have to sign many legal documents, but the one that sticks out to me the most was the contract that said once medical treatment/exams were started I couldnt change my mind or I would be required to pay for all treatments/drugs/exams I recieved. Anyway, everything turned out fine at the time, and life went on. It was anon. donation so I have no idea how many babies were born if any, but I do know there was an actual recipient and not just a research lab.
Now everything is not fine. At the age of 28 I hit menopause. I am out of eggs. Some of us are not aware that as women we are born with all the eggs we will ever have. They mature 1 at a time and when we are out, we are done. Over all, 14 eggs were removed from my ovaries. But my midwife (who performs my gyno visits) told me that if they told me 14, thats the number of mature viable eggs removed. She likened it to a bag of sand with a handful of marbles in it, and no matter how carefully the marbles are removed, there is no avoiding removing the sand too. She said they most likely took dozens, and possibly hundreds of immature eggs out along with the 14 mature ones, causing me to hit menopause prematurely. The irony of all this is I got married 2 years ago, and my husband and I are not going to be able to have a child "of our own" because I chose to give my unborn eggs to another. There are not many studies on the long-term affects on the DONOR. I hope a young woman considering donating eggs to get some $ now consders what she may actually have sold regarding the future.
By the way, we are in the process of adopting a 4 yr old girl, and are happy to be able to give love to a child regardless of its origins.
I am so sorry to hear...but thank you so much for taking the time to comment. This is really IMPORTANT.
I am getting ready to donate for my fourth time in one year. The law firm I am working through assures me that the doctors at the clinic are confident this is safe. I have two children under the age of two and my husband is in construction and out of work for over a year. I started this as a one time thing to get us above water again financially. I'm not going into this uninformed, but the $6,000 each time has kept me coming back. Don't get me wrong, I really like the idea of helping someone, but mostly I'm doing it to help my family. We do not want anymore children, so I've reduced the risk to "if it damages my reproductive system...who cares...I don't need it anymore"...but maybe I need to get my head out of the sand. I wish there were some answers and studies as far as the long term risks!
Not all women that donate eggs are naive little girls. Im on my second pregnancy and am planning to go ahead and donate in a year because I have about 4 girlfriends who are not able to get pregnant and ive been blessed enough to have 2 children. I think if you do it for the money your still blessing someone but you should do it after reading on it and being informed on all things that may go wrong. Everything has harmful effects just like birth control, certain medications and so many other things. Its up to the donor to do her research and be informed.
Thanks, BC. Are you going to donate to your friends, or just donate?
I donated 5 times between 2000 and 2003, which were in my opinion too many cycles too quickly. I had no problems or pain at all with the injections or the actual procedures, which were much less mild than a period. However the medications did have good and bad side effects.
BAD: severe depression brought on by the drug Lupron, growing facial hair, and having constant skin breakouts.
GOOD: I lost weight instead of gaining, my hair and nails grew very quickly, plus I did something that meant to the world to the couples who choose me as a donor. 10 years later I would never take back what I gave them. And I used the money wisely.
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
After reading this article, I have decided NOT to give up my eggs.
I have donated eggs twice within 2 years. I am 23 year old student, I did it both for helping out another interfile woman and for the money. I am now reading about the long-term effects and it scares me. I was thinking about doing it a third time and then be done, but that thought scares me now. I need the money, and it feels good to help others, but not at the sake of my own health. What should I do?
What long term effects have you read about? Everything I've researched has assured me that there should be no problems unless there was a rare complication. After 5 cycles, I never had any complications. I'm 34 now and haven't donated in 9 years. I'm considering a baby of my own in another 2-3 years and worry that my past donations may have an effect on my fertility esp. w/my age but I won't know until I try. I underwent alot of psychological screening and the only thing that's different to me 10 years later is then I said I didn't care if I had children or not but now I do since I am in a stable and loving relationship. Has anyone read that previous donatins can cause future fertility problems?
I'm a college student and frankly, I primarily approached this topic with the compensation in my mind. I am considering on donating my eggs because I want to continue my education, but my family is running short. The article about naive young women who are blinded by the prospect of receiving monetary compensation is not entirely true, although I am guilty of partially being molded into the sterotype. After reading comments, I am actually enticed by the joy of giving infertile women the gift of life. I have never been a mother, so I don't know joy of having children, but I'm deeply impressed by some women who altruistically donate eggs without the monetary benefit. That also got me thinking, maybe donating eggs isn't such a bad idea after all. BUT Before going through such a procedure, I am going to seriously weigh the risks and benefits. I do not want to endanger my future chances of having children. It's really unfortunate that there are no well reported studies of long term effects of donating eggs. I feel like that would be the factor that would finalize my decision.
If there are any members out there who want to inform me about the shortterm and hopefully long term consequences, please email me @
sakuravox@gmail.com so I can make my decision.
One of the comments I read was from a women who donated her eggs in '97 and has been having long term problems, such as early menopause. At this point, I'm convinced the long term side effects are the result of the old-school science. From my research, the egg donation started @ '91, which makes me think that it was still a new, risky trick pulled off by inexperienced doctors who did not have a total control of what they were doing. Hopefully, the science of getting eggs has completely updated to a safer level. Once again, if there are egg donors from the 90's who would like to share her stories, Please Please Please contact me @ the email address above.
You may be helping someone start a new family in the future :)
First of all I'd like to say to all of those women who put egg donors down, shame on you for thinking you are better than those of us who have donated. Why feel sorry for us when we are feeling sorry for your closed heart and shallow minds? I have never been a desperate person and I personally have to wonder why, if you're so against this, you're even on this forum? I donated largely for the money when I was younger but 11 years later I am not sorry and even MORE proud of what I did for someone else now that I'm older and understand the true gift I was able to give.
For the last girl who posted about the girl who hit early menopause at 27, well I think that is a fluke. I donated 5 times in my mid 20s and although I wonder about my fertility (I was told last month at the Dr. I should have no problems) I am 35 and not showing one single sign of menopause! What that girl failed to mention was whether or not her family has a history of this as it's usually genetic.
Though it's still too early to tell (bc I haven't even tried to conceive yet) I have had no serious consquences for donating. The only thing that would change my mind if I could go back in time is if I found out I was infertile as a result but at the time I didn't want kids. I only changed my mind when I finally fell in love last year. Shall it all work out for me with no complications, I would do it over again in a heartbeat. Best of luck to you ~ xxoo
I am an egg donor. and just to put every one at ease. my experience was way easier than my regular monthly cramps. i donated eggs twice in one year. the only side effect i had was that i gained about 5lbs. and some bloating the day before the recovery and for about a week after. i am glad i was able to help someone find happiness.
I was an egg donor about 3 years ago, and am now going back to school (my second degree) for nursing. The whole egg donation process was clearly explained, we (my husband and I) were told of all the possible risks and complications, but it was the idea that I could give something to someone, that they were unable to have on their own, that was really rewarding.
I don't yet have the desire to have children of my own, but I have known many women who have the need to bear a child...For many, giving birth to a child who has been a part of them (whether fully genetic or not) is an experience that some women just need to have. For others who do not have that need, there is adoption.
I felt this article was misleading and judgmental about women who donate eggs. There are so many time consuming processes and exams that no one would do it just for the money. 6 months worth of blood draws, exam visits, daily shots and pills, for $5000 before taxes...really, people should do some more research before writing articles like this.
I am just about to begin Lupron this weekend to help my friend have a baby. She is 43 and has been told her eggs are no good. I am way older than the norm for egg donation (37) but have been told I look like a good candidate so far. Would be really interested to hear from other 'known' donors.. Or older donors..
I am considering donating an egg and I didn't even know money was involved. For all I care they can keep the money. I am going to weigh up the risks but I don't need my eggs right now and my friend has tried everything else. I find it really sad that something that is meant to be so natural is so hard for some people. I don't think any one has the right to put consenting people down for the decisions they make. Maybe thoses people should think about the fact that people donate organs to save lives and wat if it was there family memeber in need? Donating to create life is just as important as donating to save a life.
guys - awful health risks - but some women do indeed engage in this to HELP!! don't you also consider that by INFLATING the health risks, the price for this procedure will go up even higher, artificially indeed, making egg donation an even more lucrative business - for fertility clinics, for third agents, etc. the more dangerous, the more EXPENSIVE, but it seems like there are no actual proofs of these risks. in any case, inform yourselves, people, inform yourselves, nothing is black and white. doesn't kidney donation, bone marrow donation, and who knows how many other good deeds, including life itself, hold risks?
Well, I am considering doing this and will come right out and say that the number one reason I would do it is for the money. That amount of money would be all we need to pay off some debts and get our family out of the financial hole that we're currently in. You can judge me if you'd like, but... is that so bad, really?
That is not to say that I'm uninformed of the risks. I'm not entirely sure yet this is something I would want to do, and the potential risks are what is holding me back. It seems that because its still a relatively new procedure, there simply isn't a lot of data on long-term risks, and that makes me nervous.
I live in Australia where it is illegal to receive payment for egg donation and am considering donating for a friend of a friend. My reasons clearly are not based on compensation. Just saying.
All the people on here that are prejudging women for being egg donors are ridiculous, at best. Get over yourselves and stop acting like it personally offends you. Despite the individual reasons each women has for doing such a remarkably selfless act of kindness, it is their choice, and they are given all the information prior to doing so. My wife has been a donor twice now and it sure as hell is not for monetary compensation, and for the record, no adverse health complications involved!
Also, the people on here or anywhere that say niaive and uneducated things like "it's unnatural" or, "not the way it's supposed to work", news flash, pretty much every medical procedure or medication administered in the last 80 years, would fall under that category! Most healthy adults wouldn't be around today if it weren't for "unnatural medical involvement". It is a right, and a choice, that happens to be extremely selfless and noble- GET OVER IT!!
Nice to be visiting your blog again, it has been months for me. Well this article that i've been waited for so long.
I am just about to enter my 6th and final cycle as a egg donor. I have two children of my own. When my youngest was born, I was just so happy to be a mom. I loved my girls so much and started to think about how sad it must be to never have the opportunity to experience the type of unconditional love that you can only have for a child. So, I decided to look into egg donation. I was 25. At first, I didn't even know there was money involved. At least, I didn't know how much. I did A LOT of research! Some positive, some negative. I decided to connect with a very successful agency and fertility clinic. They had great reviews and a great track record. I was matched within the first week and sent off for genetic and IQ testing. When those came back satisfactory, I was then sent off for yet more blood work and a psychological examination. That too came back satisfactory. I was matched anonymously, (I didn't meet the parents to be). They choose me because I resembled the mother amongst other reasons I don't really know. Possibly my career, hobbies, interests, who knows! Anyway, I was scared because although I was informed of all the risks, I wasn't sure what to expect, (even though I was told many times). I went through with it and I do know that they have at least one, healthy little boy. Knowing they conceived made me so filled with happiness, I decided to do it again. And now that I knew there was a nice check that would go along with the experience, I was even more excited! Long story short, I donated 2 more times with that agency within 2 years. I then took several years away from egg donation to just raise my family and run my business. Then, at 32 I decided to look into it again. I started to see that most places won't allow a woman to donate after 29. I called anyway, (just to make sure). My fist thought when I saw the age 29 cut off was, "am I too old to have a baby"? I called and was told I would need to be screened and my fertility checked. And so I did. My tests showed after 5 years of my 3 initial donations, my fertility was still booming! Great news! So, I went through with my 4th donation, this time closer to home. When I got news of success after the first cycle, I did it again. Success again! And now, at 33 years old, I will start my 6th and final cycle in 2 weeks. I do plan to have another child when this is all over. I am in overall good health. I take no medications and have been blessed physically, (no major illnesses, ect. I think if there were any future fertility risks, I would have experienced them by now. I am just so happy to have been able to help be a contributing part of the creation of several families. God is good!
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