Long Island IVF | Donor Program

Click here to download the Egg Donor Application

The Egg Donor Program at Long Island IVF has been active since 1988. Since then, we've helped many women conceive with donated eggs and our program continues to grow. Our experts in the field of egg donation will help you understand the entire process from start to finish - and answer any questions you may have along the way.

Click here to view a video on the Long Island IVF Egg Donor Program – Featured on WE TV

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Becoming a Donor
Screening
Process & Procedure

Becoming A Donor

To become an egg donor at Long Island IVF, you must meet the following qualifications:

An egg donor candidate is a woman who exhibits the emotional stability necessary to complete the egg donor procedure, and of her own free will decides to donate her eggs to the recipient.
The ideal egg donor is a healthy female between the ages of 21 and 31. While not mandatory, it is preferable that the candidate has had at least one healthy pregnancy prior to donation.
The donor should be a US Citizen or possess a Green Card or Work Visa.
A donor candidate must have a valid Social Security Number.
A donor candidate must complete and return an application (see below for application).

Once the qualifications are met and the applications are completed and returned, you will be asked to complete medical and psychological screening.

Compensation

Long Island IVF is a member of The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which maintains that a donor should be paid for her time and effort.

The Society believes that paying a donor for her eggs approaches the marketing of human organs and biological tissue. As a result, guidelines set by the organization require that a flat fee be set which is not dependent on the number of eggs produced. Long Island IVF recognizes the emotional and physical hardship placed on the egg donor. Upon completion of the donor cycle, the donor will be compensated $8,000.00 for her time and generosity. However, the donor's greatest compensation may be her sense of fulfillment for providing the recipient with the opportunity to realize their dream of a family.

The donor is required to have health insurance coverage. If she does not, health insurance is provided by special arrangement through Long Island IVF. The health insurance covers emergency medical procedures for three months, one month prior to and for two months after the completion of the donor procedure. The cost to the donor is only $100.00. This fee is subtracted from the total compensation.

Egg Screening

To be accepted as an egg donor at Long Island IVF, an applicant must successfully complete a psychological screening. The average psychological screening involves several visits with a donor applicant to obtain a complete psychosocial history. A comprehensive psychological test called the Minnesota Multi-phasic Personality Inventory-2 is administered and analyzed. The in-depth psychological test is designed to evaluate the donor's propensity for psychiatric or personality disorders which may interfere with or be aggravated by the donor process. During this screening, the donor's motivations for donating are explored. The screening attempts to evaluate donors for their ability to follow through on life decisions and complete long-term projects/processes.

In addition, a background investigation by a Private Investigator may be deemed necessary. This check may include:

Arrest history search for alcohol related offenses;
Arrest history search for narcotics related offenses;
Arrest history search for vice related offenses;
Motor vehicle search for alcohol related offenses;
Civil financial check to determine if financial difficulties may have been brought on by abuses.

In the event that a questionable incident does arise in our investigator's research, additional interviewing is conducted until we are satisfied that the donor is of good character; otherwise, the prospective donor will not be accepted into the program.

Medical Exam and Evaluation

Assessment of ovaries on day 2 or 3 of period
Blood tests to determine general health, and confirm the absence of certain communicable diseases
Gynecology exam including cultures for communicable diseases
Genetic screening to include cystic fibrosis and fragile-X testing
Drug screening by hair sampling - a more definitive testing method

If all the screening test results are satisfactory, then the application or abstract is made anonymous by removing identifying information such as name, etc. The abstract is then made available to recipients, or those who need donated eggs. If your abstract is selected, then you will move onto the next step.

For more information, please contact Vicky Loveland at 631-881-5324 or victorial@longislandivf.com

Process & Procedure

Once you have been accepted into the donor egg program and selected by a recipient, you will be notified by one of our donor egg nurses. You will then meet with one of our nurses, where you will get a more in-depth explanation of the requirements of the program. Along with this explanation, you will receive a calendar containing all the specific dates and appointments for which you will need to be available.

Your calendar will include daily medications. You will receive proper instructions for all medications prior to their use. This may also include the use of certain injectable medications. Our Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologists prescribe medical therapies on an individual basis. You must make yourself totally available for the entire stimulation phase of the donation process, which takes about two weeks.

Phase I – Suppression

Lasts 2-3 weeks

In order to synchronize your menstrual cycle with the recipient's menstrual cycle, it may be necessary for you to take an oral contraceptive. While on oral contraceptives, donors may begin an injectable medication that temporarily suppresses the ovaries or utilize oral birth control pills. When the ovaries are suppressed, you will then begin the next phase, the stimulation phase.

Phase II – Stimulation

Lasts 10-14 days

The stimulation phase includes injectable medicines (gonadotropins), which stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs than the single egg produced in a natural cycle. The hormones used to stimulate egg production can produce temporary emotional and physical changes, which vary from individual to individual. Your physician determines the drug and what dose to use to stimulate your ovaries. During this time, you will begin daily office visits that will consist of blood work and vaginal ultrasounds to monitor the developing eggs. You are closely monitored by one of our doctors throughout the stimulation phase.

The blood tests and ultrasounds are used to determine when the eggs are thought to be mature and ready for retrieval. You are then instructed to take a medication called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin). This hormone helps with the final follicular maturation. The timing of the HCG injection is approximately 36 hours before the egg retrieval time.

Phase III - Egg Retrieval

Lasts 3-4 hours

Egg retrieval is done at our Melville office where eggs are retrieved under IV (intravenous) sedation. Using an ultrasound guide, a needle is passed through the vaginal wall. The needle enters the fluid filled sacs in the ovaries. The eggs are in the fluid, which is studied under a microscope to identify the eggs. Once all the eggs are retrieved, the doctor inspects to assure there is no excess bleeding and you are transferred to the Recovery Room. You will be continuously monitored to assure your stability. Once you are in a stable condition, you will be discharged.

Pain is managed with extra strength Tylenol and normal activities can be resumed the day following egg retrieval unless otherwise indicated. It will be approximately 3-4 hours from admission to discharge. The actual procedure time is approximately 30 minutes. The remaining time is for preparation and post-procedure monitoring.

After you have been discharged, the donated eggs will be inseminated and fertilized in our Embryology Lab, completing the process.

Approximately 2 weeks from your retrieval day, you should have a post-retrieval menses, referred to as a Post-Retrieval Bleed. With the onset of this bleed, please call our office to schedule a post-retrieval sonogram to confirm that your ovaries and uterus have returned to their normal state.

For more information, please contact Maria Cinone at 631-881-5340 or mcinone@longislandivf.com

Click here to download the Egg Donor Application

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