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Who Uses Donor Eggs and Why?

Discover the answer to the question of who uses donor eggs

Our Connecticut fertility center helps patients understand who uses donor eggs. Women with inheritable genetic conditions, poor egg quality and other fertility issues can often conceive with donor eggs. In addition, same-sex male couples and single men building a family through IVF must use donor eggs and a gestational surrogate.

Our clinic strives to make the process of IVF with donor eggs as simple and effective as possible so that patients can take the next step toward parenthood with ease.

Certain factors influence who uses donor eggs

Male patients without a female partner always need to conceive with donor eggs. Additionally, there are a variety of reasons a female patient at our Connecticut fertility center may require this type of third party reproduction.

Diminished egg quality and quantity. As a woman ages, the quality and quantity of her eggs diminish. While women in their early-30s and even 20s might require donor eggs, it becomes more common for women over the age of 35. In addition to age, issues such as genetic abnormalities and certain medical treatments could impact a woman’s eggs.

Premature ovarian failure. Also called early menopause, this condition involves women under the age of 40 not producing normal amounts of estrogen or regularly ovulating.

Poor response to ovulation medications. If a woman’s egg follicles do not mature when she takes ovulation stimulation medication, she might need donor eggs.

Some inheritable genetic conditions. Women with certain conditions that can pass from the mother might need donor eggs if PGT-M does not reveal healthy embryos.

Numerous miscarriages or failed IVF cycles. After having multiple miscarriages or failed IVF cycles, a woman may need to consider finding an egg donor.

Before recommending donor eggs, Dr. Levi often suggests treatments like IVF with PGT, which can increase the chance of a woman conceiving with her own eggs.

How we help patients conceive with donor eggs

After discovering who uses donor eggs, it’s important to learn more about the egg donor selection process. We support patients through each step of this exciting experience.

Medical screening. Before selecting an egg donor, we recommend patients receive a health screening. This screening helps us confirm female patients not using a surrogate are healthy enough to carry a pregnancy. Male patients also receive a screening to confirm sperm health.

Donor coordinator meeting. The patients meet with a donor coordinator to learn about the egg donation process and discuss the characteristics they would like in their donor.

Egg donor review. Next, patients review the profiles of donors the coordinator recommends. We only present high-quality donors who pass comprehensive screening.

Confirming the match. The final step of donor selection consists of the patient and their donor of choice completing legal requirements and any additional testing. Our Connecticut fertility center then creates a schedule for the egg donation cycle.

After Dr. Levi retrieves the donor’s eggs, he sends them to the lab. There, an embryologist fertilizes them with sperm from the male patient or a sperm donor. After the embryos develop, the embryologist can perform PGT-A or PGT-M.

Dr. Levi then transfers one of the embryos into the uterus of the female patient or a gestational surrogate. Hopefully, the patient can then conceive with donor eggs. Contact us to learn more about who uses donor eggs.