Together on Your Journey

For nearly a year, we accompanied Deirdre, a single Philadelphia woman, on her journey to motherhood using donor eggs and IVF at Penn Fertility Care. Watch her story unfold from her first appointment to her baby's first breath.

There are many reasons why an individual or couple might decide to pursue egg donation or other third-party reproduction options. Some need medical assistance as they try to create a family of their own or may want to have a child without a partner. No matter the reason or personal situation, our experienced specialists at Penn Fertility Care are available for consultation to help determine the best treatment for you.

Information for Egg Recipients

There are two options for egg donation:

  • Fresh Egg Donation: Penn Fertility Care offers the option for fresh egg donation. We have a wide selection of egg donors who will undergo ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval to provide fresh eggs for the creation of embryos to achieve pregnancy.
  • Frozen Egg Bank: Penn Fertility Care is able to provide frozen donor eggs through our own egg bank as well as through My Egg Bank.

In either case, we will guide you through the process of selecting a donor, completing pretreatment evaluations, preparing the uterus for implantation, and performing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.

Who may benefit from egg donation?

Male couple with daughterThere are a number of reasons why you may choose to use donor eggs. Some of those situations include:

  • Advanced maternal age
  • Diminished ovarian reserve
  • Poor egg quality
  • Premature menopause
  • Family building for male couples
  • Genetic disorders
  • Surgical absence of the ovaries
  • Previous cancer treatment
  • Failure to achieve pregnancy after multiple IVF cycles

How do we select egg donors?

All donors undergo an extensive screening process following recommendations by the FDA and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). This evaluation process includes an extensive screening process to identify serious medical and genetic conditions, psychological conditions, infectious diseases, and an assessment of ovarian reserve. Potential donors with significant medical or genetic problems are not accepted as egg donors.

The screening process includes:

  • Family history
  • Medical history
  • Physical exam
  • Psychological evaluation
  • Testing for infectious diseases
  • Testing for ovarian reserve
  • Testing for genetic diseases

How much will I know about the donor?

You will be provided with a detailed profile that contains information about the donor’s family, medical and pregnancy history at the time of the match.

What are the program costs?

Total costs vary depending on whether the intended parents have coverage for their testing and/or medications. You will meet with our financial coordinator at the time of your initial visit for a complete review of our fee schedule.

In This Section

Becoming an Egg Donor

Learn more about eligibility criteria and benefits of becoming an egg donor.

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