Donor Information

The following information is only provided to help potential egg donors understand the procedures involved in egg donation and is not intended as medical or legal advice. If after reading this explanation of the egg donation process you are still interested in donating to a family, please e-mail your positive response to Darlene@aperfectmatch.com

A Perfect Match, Inc.(APM)

A Perfect Match staff would like to express our gratitude to all the incredibly kind and talented women who have expressed an interest in helping intended parents and infertile families through egg donation. Our intended parents are well-educated and accomplished people who have medical conditions leading to infertility, as well as singles and same sex couples who can’t create their family without having the help of a kind and generous egg donor. Our egg donors find the egg donation process to be an incredible journey that is filled with ups and downs, but in the end there is the satisfaction of knowing that just one person really can make a difference in the lives of others.

A Perfect Match is committed to our belief in the right of all people to become parents regardless of race, religion, marital status, age, gender or sexual orientation. We also respect the right of every egg donor to choose the type of family she is willing to work with; therefore, no woman will ever be pressured to donate her eggs to any family type.

The goal of the staff at A Perfect Match is to make every egg donor's journey as enjoyable and fulfilling as possible. We know the sacrifice of time and extra effort it takes to be an egg donor, so our commitment is to also make every effort to ensure our egg donor is treated with the care and the respect she deserves by APM as well as all the professionals involved in the egg donation process.

The prospective intended parents (IPs) choose all the medical professionals involved in the egg donation process. We encourage our egg donors to investigate the medical service provider chosen by the IPs and to satisfy themselves as to the provider's professionalism and expertise. We will give our donor the contact information for that center so she may speak with the doctor directly, if desired. If a donor is uncomfortable with that center for any reason, we ask that she notify us immediately.

THERE ARE POTENTIAL RISKS INHERENT WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE EGG DONATION MEDICAL PROCESS AND PROCEDURES, INCLUDING TAKING ANY MEDICATION. IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DONOR TO INVESTIGATE ALL SUCH RISKS AND TO DISCUSS ALL MEDICAL ISSUES WITH THE PRIMARY PHYSICIAN

Ovum Donation Information

The first step in the egg donation process is APM’s recruitment of an egg donor who is between the ages of 19-29 with a healthy family history and a healthy lifestyle. Healthy lifestyle means donors are non-smokers, no more than a light, social drinker, do not take illegal drugs, and do protect themselves from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. If the potential egg donor meets these basic requirements, she will be asked to fill out a profile and to send photos. Our office will assign a number to the donor's profile for identification purposes. Most egg donors are willing to have the potential IPs know her first name in addition to her donor number, but we ask that our donor please notify our office if she does not want her first name used. At no time will any further identifying information be given to any IP without a donor's permission.

Once officially matched, many IPs and egg donors welcome an opportunity to speak with each other, yet each party can still protect their identity and contact information if that is what is desired. Many IPs find it really is important to have the opportunity to speak with their chosen donor so they can feel confident knowing they have chosen a donor who is kind and compatible with their family. We also find that many of our donors enjoy getting to know the family that will provide a loving home for the child created through their donation. If a conversation is desired by all parties, APM will arrange a phone conference though our office, so that neither party's phone number will appear on caller ID.

APM is willing to arrange for personal meetings between the IP and donor if that is what all parties want. Again, egg donors and intended parents can still remain anonymous…they only share the information they want the other to know. This next scenario is rarer, but there are some IPs and donors who really do want some sort of continued contact just not necessarily a fully open relationship, so the parties create secondary email addresses through which they communicate updates and/or medical information. APM is also more than willing to be the liaison between the parties and will communicate updates and medical information as long as we have current contact information from the parties.

APM facilitates and coordinates the egg donation process/cycle by acting as the liaison between the prospective parents, the donor, the attorneys and the medical professionals performing the procedures and screening as directed by the primary IVF physician.

Compensation

A quick note about compensation: The compensation amount is never set by APM and the egg donor will be asked to give us a range of compensation that would be acceptable to her. APM will notify the donor of any offer from a family even if the offered amount differs from her stated preferred range. The egg donor will then have the ability to accept, reject or negotiate any terms of the offer. The egg donor will never be penalized in our program if she does not want to negotiate her stated compensation. We believe this is the donor's choice, and we are committed to allowing her to make all the final decisions when it comes to compensation she will receive. Once a final compensation has been agreed upon, we never allow our donors to request a higher compensation as this makes the IPs very uncomfortable and causes them to lose faith in their donor. Likewise, we do not allow the intended parents to negotiate a lower compensation once the parties agree to a final dollar amount.

We expect our donors to be women of integrity and honesty; therefore, we expect our donors to ask our intended parents for the same exact compensation they would request from a family they meet through their own personal means or through a different agency.

The agreed upon compensation is generally paid in two installments: The first installment is paid when a donor begins any injectable medication and the balance is paid on the day of retrieval. The most commonly used first injectable medication is called Lupron. The medication start fee is $750.00 and will be paid to the donor by our office (through the mail) once we receive confirmation that the donor began the medication. A donor who is considered local (within driving distance to the IVF center) will also receive an additional $150-300 to cover travel, mileage, parking, tolls, etc. This may be paid at the same time the donor receives her medication start fee, but it also may not be paid until the balance of her compensation is paid. The egg donation contract will determine when any dollar amount will be paid. The second installment of your fee, paid on the day of retrieval, is the balance of the agreed upon compensation. (For example: if a donor is receiving $10,000 total compensation, then $750.00 would be paid on the day she starts injectable medications and the balance of $9,250.00 would be paid on day of the retrieval procedure.) If a donor is required to travel, the Lupron start fee is meant to cover her expenses for ground transportation, parking and meals until she is able to submit the receipts for reimbursement. All reimbursements are paid promptly upon our receipt of the donor's requests and proof of paid expenses.

The above compensation payment scenario is based on the majority of cycles; however, at times IPs and donors become very creative in their negotiations for compensation by adding bonuses for certain events. As long as all parties understand and agree to the terms and they have received legal advice, creativity and deviating from the norm is acceptable to APM.

If someone from our office cannot be present on the day of retrieval, the balance of the compensation will be paid through the attorney-client trust account and will be sent by priority mail by either the law office or APM once we have confirmation from the medical facility that the retrieval occurred. Compensation will be paid as long as the retrieval took place; it is not based on the number of eggs retrieved unless otherwise agreed upon in the legal egg donation contract between the egg donor and the IPs.

Screening

Once a donor is chosen by a family, she will be required to have genetic, physical, psychological and infectious disease screening at no cost to her. Our egg donors and IPs are located throughout the country; therefore, a donor may be required to travel to the location of the clinic chosen by the IPs. If donors are required to travel outside of her home area, the IPs will pay for all expenses including flights, hotel, meals, shuttles, etc.. Lost wages, however, are not covered.

The prospective parents (IPs) choose all the medical professionals involved in the donation cycle. We encourage our donors to investigate the medical service provider chosen by the IPs and to satisfy themselves as to their professionalism and expertise. We will give our donors the contact information for that center so she may view their website and begin communication with the nurse coordinator. If the egg donor is uncomfortable with that center for any reason, we ask that she notify us immediately.

Potential donors are carefully screened and must pass a number of tests as required by our program and mandated by the FDA and the State of California (or State in which the retrieval will take place). Once a donor is chosen by a family, she will be required to have genetic, physical, psychological and infectious disease screening at no cost to the donor. Our donors and IPs are located throughout the country; therefore, the egg donor may be required to travel to the location of the clinic chosen by the IPs. If an egg donor is required to travel outside of her home area, the IPs will pay for all expenses including flights, hotel, meals, shuttles, etc.. Lost wages, however, are not covered.

There is a possibility that the primary physician may allow some or all of the screening tests to be performed at a location that is convenient to the donor's home instead of having her travel. If so, the physician will make arrangements and send all instructions to the location specified, and the results will be forwarded to the primary physician in charge of the cycle and retrieval.

IMPORTANT: Please do not get any Depo-Provera shots, tattoos, or body piercings from the time you agree to donation or you could be disqualified from donation for an extended period of time. Women cannot donate for a minimum of six months if they take a Depo shot because the ovaries will not stimulate properly. The State of California and the FDA require donors to wait six months after having any body piercing and six months to one year from receiving a tattoo (depends on facility licensing) before she can donate. This is due to the increased risk of infectious diseases. Lastly, if a women begins the Ghardisil vaccine series, she must complete the series and then wait a minimum of 30 days to three months (depending on the IVF center protocol) before she can be screened for donation

Genetic Screening is performed to identify individuals who are carriers of genetically transmitted diseases such as; cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs disease. A donor may also be screened for other diseases based on the findings of the Geneticist, or the desires of the IP. The donor is entitled to receive a copy of all results from these tests.

Psychological Screening is to ensure that a donor fully understands the emotional aspects of donation. A face to face meeting with a psychologist/social worker will be required, and an MMPI or other type of personality assessment will be administered at that time. APM and the primary IVF physician must receive a psychological clearance letter before proceeding with the donor cycle.

Medical Screening is performed to ensure that the donor is physically capable of undergoing the ovum donation process. A donor will also be tested for sexually transmitted or other transmissible diseases which will include: HIV, HTLV-1 & 2, Hepatitis B & C, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, etc. An ultrasound and vaginal cultures will also be required. *The sexual partner of the donor MUST be screened for sexually transmitted diseases. * There is a possibility the IVF center will choose to test for drug usage through a urine screening or hair follicle testing, which will show drug usage over a 3 month period.

Legal Contract

APM will provide a matched egg donor with our Travel Benefit's package, which outlines exactly how our program works. The terms in this package set forth many of the legal terms in the egg donation contract. Donors will be asked to sign this document before we send out attorney referrals. Once the donor signs the package, these terms will be incorporated into the legal egg donation contract with the IPs.

We will provide the matched egg donor with a list of attorneys who specialize in Ovum Donation Law, and she will be asked to select an attorney. The donor and the IP must have separate counsel; the IPs will pay for the donor's attorney. Donor will enter into a contract with the IP and this legally binding contract should not be entered into lightly. The contract will cover compensation, travel arrangements, legal obligations of the parties, conduct, who the eggs and resulting embryos belong to, etc. A Donor is able to cancel the contract for any reason until the day she begins injectable medications. Once medications begin the donor can only cancel for medical reasons or she may be in breach of contract and be responsible for medical costs paid to that date. The medical reason must be substantiated by the primary IVF physician.

The IP's attorney is called the drafting attorney; the donor's attorney is called the reviewing attorney. The drafting attorney will send a contract to the reviewing attorney. The reviewing attorney is responsible for getting a copy of the contract to the egg donor. Once she has read the contract she will be asked to have a conference, either in person or by phone, with her attorney to discuss any changes she might want and to make sure she understands exactly what is expected of her, as well as what may constitute a breach of contract. The donor's attorney then notifies the drafting attorney of any changes they are requesting and will relay these requests to the IP's attorney.

The attorneys receive a copy of the donor's signed Benefits Package and they are instructed to notify APM immediately should a donor or intended parent request any changes that are outside of APM's program; however, it is ultimately the donors responsibility to notify APM immediately of any terms in the contract that deviate from your Benefits Package. APM will then help resolve any discrepancies. Once the terms of the contract are finalized, then all parties will be required to sign the contract. Medications will not begin until all parties have signed the contract, and a legal clearance letter is sent to the IVF physician notifying them that the cycle can commence.

Trust Account

APM requires the full amount of funds for the donor cycle, including cost of retrieval, medications, travel and donor’s compensation to be placed in a trust account prior to the time the Donor begins injectable medications for retrieval. The trust holder is generally National Fertility Law Center, and they will be responsible for paying the egg donor's compensation as well as all cycle expenses submitted for payment by APM. Donors are required to submit all receipts for any out of pocket expenses for which the IPs have agreed to reimburse. The attorney-client trust is subject to State Bar of California regulations.

Medication

Most donors will be placed on some type of birth control in order to regulate their cycle; this will allow the physician to coordinate the egg donor's monthly cycle with that of the IP or surrogate. If the donor is already taking birth control, the primary physician will decide if it is an acceptable brand or if the donor needs to switch to another brand. Birth control is not an injectable medication; therefore, the donor will not receive any compensation for taking this medication. Some IVF centers (not the majority) require a donor to be off of birth control for one month prior to their physical screening. APM will make sure the egg donor is aware of the IVF center's protocol regarding birth control and screening.

A donor may begin the first of her injectable medications on day 21 of her cycle. The most commonly used medication is called Lupron and is a daily subcutaneous injection. (It sounds worse than it is!) This needle is a tiny, 2 inch insulin type needle. A professional will teach the donor how to administer this to herself. *Lupron is not approved by the FDA as a fertility medication, but is used by physicians in order to keep the ovaries from ovulating. There is also a different form of Lupron called Depo-lupron and it is used by some IVF centers given as a onetime injection. More and more IVF centers are switching to a protocol in which Lupron is not used, rather a medication called Antigon or Cetritide is used. Please discuss with the primary physician which medications he/she will be prescribing as well as the possible side effects and risks associated with each medication.

Donors who use Lupron or the other medications sometime have complaints of hot flushes, moodiness and headaches. We have found that if donors lead active lives, they generally have fewer complaints and many have no complaints at all. We ask that a donor immediately notify the primary physician of any side effects she may be having as a result of taking the medications. The first installment of the compensation is paid at this point; the amount paid is generally $750.00. The donor will have begin your flow within a week to ten days. An ultrasound will be performed to make sure the ovaries are quiet. Once the donor and IPs both have their flows the next medication will be administered.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) is a medication that has many brand names. The follicle stimulating medication causes the eggs to grow and mature. This medication is administered for 8-10 days. The most common are Gonal-F, Follistim and Menopur. These medications are given daily by subcutaneous injections with the small 2-inch needle. There are other medications that the primary physician may prescribe which will also require intramuscular administration. The typical complaints associated with these stimulation medications are bloating and occasional nausea. Please discuss all potential side effects and risks of each medication with the primary physician.

Sexual Activity

Donors must refrain from sexual activity once injectable medications begin unless she is informed otherwise by the primary physician. Egg donors are extremely fertile during this time and for their own protection they need to either abstain from sexual relations completely, or use a combination of effective barriers prior to starting any of the medications. Always seek clarification of your IVF center's protocol regarding sexual activity of any kind. If a donor becomes pregnant or contracts an STD during the medication stage, the cycle will have to be cancelled and the donor may be considered in breach of contract subject to reimbursement costs to the IPs for medications, travel, etc. Donors are generally able to return to normal sexual activity once she has her flow approximately 7-10 days after retrieval, but should continue to protect themselves from pregnancy and STDs for their own health and well-being as well as to protect their own future fertility.

Other Restrictions

Donors will also be asked to curtail any heavy exercise during the stimulation stage as this may affect the quantity and quality of the donor's eggs. Donors will be asked to stop the intake of alcoholic beverages once medications begin. Donors are not allowed to take any medications during the cycle unless they have been prescribed by or approved by the primary physician. If the donor takes drugs not prescribed by or approved by the primary physician or if the donor drinks alcohol during the medication stage she would be in breach of the contract. These requirements are not a judgment about a donor's lifestyle choices, rather illegal drugs, medications that haven't been prescribed by or approved by the primary physician and alcohol may adversely affect the quality and quantity of eggs retrieved. The results could be devastating not only to the family, but also to any child created through the use of the donors eggs. Donors are expected to have a clear understanding of the requirements of the primary physician regarding sexual activity, physical exercise, illegal drugs, medications and alcohol. Donors must be willing to commit to these requirements prior to starting any medication.

Procedure

Each donor will receive a calendar from the IVF center telling her exactly when to start and stop all medications. The IVF center will make sure to go over all instructions with the donor so that she fully understands them. The following describes a typical procedure, but it is possible that a donor cycle will vary from this scenario should the IVF center choose the cetritide cycle instead:

Donors will receive instructions when they are to begin birth control as a means of synchronizing the donor's cycle with that of the intended mother or surrogate. Donors are to remain on birth control until instructed by the IVF center to stop.

Generally, donors begin Lupron on day 21 of their cycle, and then start their period within 7-10 days. An ultrasound will be required on day 2 of that cycle to make sure the ovaries are quiet before beginning the stimulation medications.

During the 10-12 days stimulation phase a donor will be required to have a blood test on day 3, an ultrasound and blood test on day 5, and then possibly either every day or every other day until the eggs are mature. If a donor is traveling for the retrieval, the IVF center may require the donor to have her day 5 ultrasound at their center only, however, some centers allow the donor to remain in her home area until day 7 or 8. Until a center is chosen by the family, we will not know which protocol a donor will be asked to follow, but the donor will be informed as quickly as possible.

The blood tests and ultrasounds help the physician determine the number, size, and quality of the eggs. These tests are generally done between 7-9 am. Once the eggs are mature, the donor will be given a medication called HCG. This medication is given approximately 35 hours prior to the retrieval. The timing and administration of this medication is crucial. This medication will be given intramuscularly in the posterior, lateral hip. Most donors will need help in the administration of this medication. Donors must be sure to drink lots of fluids during this time.

The procedure for harvesting eggs is usually performed in the morning and takes approximately one hour. Prior to the retrieval, a small IV may be placed into the arm vein to administer fluids and general anesthesia; some centers choose to use a sedative only. Donors who are sedated only may feel some discomfort, but most tolerate the procedure extremely well. The majority of IVF centers have their own operating facility on location, but some use facilities at local hospitals. The physician will use an ultrasound guidance machine and a needle will be placed through the back of the vagina and the eggs will be removed from the ovaries. This portion of the procedure takes between 20 and 30 minutes. The eggs will be taken to the laboratory to be mixed with the IP or donor sperm. The egg donor will remain in recovery for an additional hour or so until the IVF Physician allows the donor to leave. Donors will receive instructions from the IVF center about the intake of fluids and signs to watch for that may require some further medical attention by the IVF center.

ALL DONORS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A COMPANION WITH THEM WHEN THEY LEAVE THE IVF CENTER. IF A DONOR IS UNABLE TO BRING A COMPANION ON DAY OF RETRIEVAL, WE WILL HIRE A COMPANION TO BE WITH HER.

The majority of donors are able to go home within two hours after donation. However, if a donor had to fly to the IVF center for the procedure, she will be required to stay through the day and then fly home the following morning. If she has a traveling companion some centers may agree to let the donor fly home late the same day. Donors should make sure they have a complete understanding of the IVF center requirements.

On the day of retrieval the full balance of the egg donor's compensation will be paid to her. If an APM staff member cannot be present on day of retrieval we will send the egg donor's payment by mail once we have received confirmation that the retrieval took place.

Donors can expect to begin a normal cycle again within 7-14 days after retrieval. Donors will also be required to have a follow up ultrasound approximately 2 weeks after the retrieval in order to ascertain that the ovaries are back to normal.

Pregnancy Results

After retrieval, donors will be able to receive the cycle information regarding the number of eggs retrieved, but fertilization and pregnancy results are only shared at the discretion of the IPs. Most IPs are willing to share results with the donor because they want the donor to be able to do her own family planning. Donors will be asked to notify APM regarding her desire to know or not know if there was a resulting pregnancy.

Also, if there is an agreement to inform the donor of the results, a donor needs to understand that a negative result after a “fresh cycle” does not mean that the IPs would not be able to still attain a pregnancy through the use of frozen embryos. There may be many factors involved which might lead to a negative result, including sperm issues or uterine lining issues. We want every donor to know that her efforts are appreciated regardless of the results.

Lastly, we will always notify a donor if there is any miscarriage or birth defect that is a result of a genetic issue passed through the donor’s eggs, but it will be the donor's responsibility to keep APM updated with her contact information if she want to make sure we can inform her of any issues.

Commitment

Egg donation cycles require a strong commitment on the part of the donor and everyone will be counting on her to do her very best to comply with each step that is required by the IVF physician. Egg donation may be financially beneficial for a donor, but our donors say their greatest reward comes from knowing they made a difference in someone’s life by giving of themselves. A donor will have the satisfaction of knowing she helped someone in their attempt to have a child...she may actually be the one who can help change the intended parent's life forever! The gift our egg donors offer is beyond measure and for our part we commit to doing everything in our power to make this a positive experience for our donors and our intended parents. We value each and every one of our donors and are thankful to have the opportunity to work with such outstanding women.

We hope this information has been helpful to you. Please contact our office to let us know if you are interested in becoming an egg donor through A Perfect Match, or if you would like further information.

For More Information Darlene@aperfectmatch.com 1-800-264-8828

FDA Guidelines for Egg Donation

FDA Guidance for Donor Eligibility