Why More Women Are Turning to Egg Donation
to Become Pregnant
Understanding Egg Donation
As a woman ages, her fertility declines, therefore many women in their late
30's and 40's have difficulty starting or extending their family.
However, women who are faced with fertility challenges have more conception
options today than ever before. With many women choosing to have children
later in their reproductive life, the use of donor eggs is becoming more
common.
Females are born with approximately one million
follicles in their ovaries, and by puberty, approximately
300,000 follicles remain. This number continues
to decline until they reach menopause, when almost
no follicles remain, this is referred to as “diminished
ovarian reserve.”
Christos
Coutifaris, MD, PhD, director of Penn
Fertility Care and director of the division
of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility
at the University of Pennsylvania Health System
states, “For women with a diminished
ovarian reserve or who are experiencing signs
of early menopause, using eggs donated by a
young, healthy woman is a very good option.
The use of donor eggs allows a dramatic increase
in the chance a woman will conceive since the
age of the donor determines the success of
the cycle, not the age of the recipient, as
long as the recipient has a normal uterus.”
Infertile couples consider using donated eggs
for many reasons, including:
- Premature ovarian failure (premature menopause)
- Absence of ovaries due to surgery, previous
chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Patients whose own eggs are of poor quality
(age can be a primary factor)
- Being a carrier of genetic disease
Egg Donation
and Recipient Processes
Egg recipient patients review donor biographies that include personal, family
and genetic histories and photographs. After a donor is selected, a physical,
genetic and psychological work-up is completed for the intended parents and
donor. Then the donor and recipient’s menstrual cycles are synchronized
to prepare for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
“The egg donor takes medication to stimulate
her ovaries to produce follicles and the intended
mother is given hormones to prepare the lining
of the uterus for pregnancy,” says Kurt
Barnhart, MD, MSCE, director of the Penn
Donor Egg Program and director of the Reproductive
Research Unit at Penn Fertility Care.
Barnhart continues, “The donor’s
mature eggs are retrieved, fertilized with the
recipient’s partner’s sperm and later
transferred into the recipient’s uterus.
A pregnancy test is later performed and the recipient
is then able to enjoy a normal pregnancy and
delivery.”
With the use of donor eggs, the success rate
of IVF for a woman in her mid 40’s can
increase from approximately less than 10 percent
to almost 60 percent. In addition, an IVF cycle
often results in excess embryos. The embryos
can be frozen which gives the patient future
opportunities to achieve pregnancy at a tremendous
cost savings.
See also:
Penn Fertility Care
How to
Become an Egg Donor
When you become an egg donor, you give a couple the opportunity to experience
pregnancy, childbirth and most importantly the chance to build a family.
The Donor Egg Program at Penn Fertility Care
is looking for healthy women, ages 21 to 34 who
are interested in helping infertile couples through
egg donation. Generous compensation is offered
to donors for their time and travel.
Egg Donation
Services at Penn Fertility Care
Penn Fertility Care offers the convenience of providing a fertility evaluation,
available egg donors, pre-implantation hormone therapy and the IVF procedure,
all within one location.
“Penn Fertility Care is distinctive because
we have expanded our Donor Egg Program to include
an anonymous donor egg bank. We offer all egg
donation services at one location. Adding a donor
bank to our existing program provides our patients
with a convenient and economical option,” states
Kelly Timbers, MSN, CRNP, CCRC, coordinator of
the Penn Donor Egg Program. Timbers continues, “Penn
Fertility Care also provides the opportunity
for patients to use a “known donor,” such
as an acceptable family member or close friend.”
To make an appointment with a Penn fertility
specialist or to find out more information about
the Donor Egg Program at Penn Fertility Care,
please call 1-800-789-PENN or visit the Penn
Fertility site.
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