Egg donation Totally Explained

Everything about Egg Donation totally explained

Egg donation is the process by which a woman provides one or several eggs (ova, oocytes) for purposes of assisted reproduction or biomedical research. For assisted reproduction purposes, egg donation involves the process of in vitro fertilization as the eggs are fertilized in the laboratory. After the eggs have been obtained, the role of the egg donor is complete. Egg donation is part of the process of third party reproduction.

Indication

The need for egg donation may arise for a number of reasons. Infertile couples may resort to acquiring eggs through egg donation when the female partner can't have genetic children because she may not have eggs that can be successfully fertilized. This situation is often based on advanced reproductive age. Early onset of menopause which can occur in women as early as their 20’s can require a woman to use donor eggs to grow her family. Some women are born without ovaries or other reproductive organs. Sometimes a woman's reproductive organs have been damaged due to disease or have been forced to have them surgically removed. Another indication would be a genetic disorder on part of the woman that can be circumvented by using eggs from another person. The couple can personally get acquainted with the egg donor, her children and family members. Or a couple can request an anonymous egg donor. Egg donation is also required for gay couples using surrogacy (see LGBT parenting).

Congenital absence of eggs

Turner syndrome

Gonadal dysgenesis/agenesis . The long-term impact of egg donation on donors hasn't been well studied, but apparently some evidence suggests a risk of early menopause and increased risk of ovarian cancer.
According to Jansen and Tucker, writing in the same ART (assisted reproductive technologies) textbook referenced above, the risk of OHSS varies with the clinic administering the hormones, from 6.6 to 8.4% of cycles,half of them "severe." Patients treated with GnRH agonists appear to be at increased risk compared to those treated with GnRH antagonists. The most severe form of OHSS is life threatening. One study in the Netherlands found 10 documented cases of deaths from IVF, with a rate of 1:10,000. "All of these patients were treated with GnRH agonists and none of these cases have been published in the scientific literature." Hormone treatments that can be dangerous in the short-term may have long-term health effects.
Daniel Navot, writing in the same collection of reports states that mild OHSS is a sign that treatment is working and describes the symptoms of moderate OHSS as "includes significant ovarian englargement (5-12 cm)...abdominal pain, significant bloating,nausea, and diarrhea," symptoms attributable to ovarian enlargement and elevate estrogen levels. Signs that upgrade moderate OHSS to the severe form include liver dysfunction and anasarca. Criteia for severe OHSS include enlarge ovary, ascites, hemotacrit > 45%, WBC > 15,000, oliguria, creatinine 1.0-1.5 mg/dl, creatinine clearance > 50 ml/min, liver dysfunction, anasarca. Critical OHSS includes enlarged ovary, tense ascites with hydrothorax and pericardial effusion, hematocrit > 55%, WBC > 25,000, oligoanuria, creatinine > 1.6 mg/dl, creatinine clearance > 50 ml/min, renal failure, thromboembolic phenomena,ARDS.

Recipient

The recipient has the risk of contracting a transmittable disease. While the donor may test negative for HIV, such testing doesn't exclude the possibility that the donor has contracted HIV very recently, so the recipient faces a residual risk of exposure.
The recipient also trusts that the genetic and medical history of the donor is accurate. This factor of trust shouldn't be underestimated in importance. Donors are paid thousands of dollars; monetary compensation may attract unscrupulous individuals inclined to conceal their true motivations. Moreover, recipients will have a de facto relationship to the biological parent of their offspring for life. Half of the child's genetic makeup, and related traits, capabilities, tendencies, etc. will come from the donor. Multiple birth is a common complication if the physician transfers too many embryos. Incidence of twin births is very high.

Custody

Generally legal documents are signed to hand oocytes over to the recipient and renounce rights of ownership and custody on part of the donor, so that there will be no claims on part of the donor concerning the offspring.

Legality

Egg donation is regulated and /or prohibited in many countries. In the United States, having an attorney draft your contract is often necessary to establish and confirm your parental rights over any child.

Donor registries

A donor registry is a registry to facilitate donor conceived people, sperm donors and egg donors to establish contact with genetic kindred. They are mostly used by donor conceived people to find genetic half-siblings from the same egg- or sperm donor.
   Some donors are non-anonymous, but most are anonymous, for example the donor conceived person doesn't know the true identity of the donor. Still, he/she may get the donor number from the fertility clinic. If that donor had donated before, then other donor conceived people with the same donor number are thus genetic half-siblings. In short, donor registries match people who type in the same donor number.
   Alternatively, if the donor number isn't available, then known donor characteristics, for example hair, eye and skin color may be used in matching.
   Donors may also register, and therefore, donor registries may also match donors with their genetic children.

Further Information

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