Donor Egg Program

Bennett Fertility Institute (BFI) was established in 1985. The egg donation program was initiated in 1995 in order to assist women who are unable to produce viable eggs. The process of egg donation involves an egg donor and a recipient couple. The donor’s eggs are inseminated in the laboratory with the recipient’s husband’s sperm. One or two embryos (fertilized eggs) are then transferred three to five days later into the recipient’s uterus. Excess embryos, if viable, are frozen for future conceptions by the recipient couple.

Currently, BFI does NOT recruit new egg donors. Egg donors previously evaluated and screened at BFI may still be available.

Donor Screening Requirements

• Initial screening form
• Full Medical and Family History Questionnaire
• Interview (face-to-face) with program coordinator and director
• Blood tests (HIV, hepatitis, blood type, and syphilis)
• Urine tests (Chlamydia, Gonorrhea)
• Psychological evaluation with a counselor
• Genetic testing (selective)
• Donors of eggs from an egg bank (see below) may be subjected to additional screening test

Egg Donor Compensation

(This applies only to egg donors screened at Bennett Fertility Institute. Donors evaluated and screened by an egg bank (see below) will be compensated by the egg bank.) The egg donor will receive $5,000 once the process is completed (eggs are retrieved). This compensation is in line with the average compensation of donors in our region. Currently, given the availability of eggs from national egg banks, BFI does NOT accept new applications from prospective egg donors.

Donation of Cryopreserved (frozen) Eggs from Donor Egg Bank USA
Bennett Fertility Institute offers eggs from donors previously screened by its staff (“fresh egg donation”) as well as eggs that are stored frozen (cryopreserved) at Donor Egg Bank USA (DEBUSA.com). Egg freezing and storage (oocyte cryopreservation) is a relatively new technique compared with fresh egg donation or embryo storage. Current studies show similar fertilization and pregnancy rates from frozen compared with “fresh” eggs. Given that frozen eggs have been commercially used in egg donation only in the past 5 years, uncertainties about success rates with frozen eggs still exist.

The donor egg bank screens and financially compensates the egg donor. It charges the recipients separately for the donated eggs. Costs of recipient evaluation and fertilization in the laboratory and embryo transfer are charged by Bennett Fertility Institute.

The Process of Egg Donation

Donor
Seven weeks of treatment:
Week 1-3: oral contraceptive pills (one visit)
Week 4-5: daily Lupron injections (one visit)
Week 6: 2-3 injections daily of fertility drugs (4-5 visits)
Week 7: Egg retrieval (under IV sedation) (one visit)

Recipient
Mock cycle (approximately 6 weeks):
Week 1-2: daily Lupron injections (one visit)
Week 3-4: estrogen skin patches (one visit)
Week 5-6: progesterone (vaginal supplements or injections)
Endometrial biopsy (one visit)
Actual cycle (approximately 5-6 weeks)
Week 1-2: daily Lupron injections
Week 3-4: estrogen skin patches (one visit)
Week 5: appointment for husband (sperm specimen)
Week 5-6: Embryo transfer (one visit)

How many times can a donor donate eggs?
While nationally, the maximum number of egg donation cycles is six, at BFI it is limited to four.