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| Screening of Donors | Any woman, who wants to become an egg donor either known or anonymous are to be screened in accordance with the standards in order the risk of transmitting of any kind of infection to the surrogate mother and to the future baby and in order to avoid passing on any genetic or inherited disease to the baby.
All potential egg donors are to be screened for infectious diseases, such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis, gonorrhea, Cytomegalovirus, Chlamydia, etc. as well as for genetic diseases, such as cystic fibroids carrier, etc. The blood test is conducted for the screening to occur.
If a woman answers an advertisement, she will be taken an interview over the telephone, or she may be sent an application in order to fill it out. Then, based on the woman’s responses, the program will decide whether she will be chosen to become an egg donor or not. In case of their negative decision, the woman will not hear from them again, however, if the program decides that she is likely to be chosen, the woman will be invited to go on with the egg donor’s selection process. Therefore, before she will be accepted as an egg donor, she will be required to undergo some certain medical as well as psychological screening.
But before any screening is conducted, the egg donation program staff is to provide the throughout description of the whole procedure as well as of all risks, involved in egg donation procedure. In case if a woman decides not to go on with it, it is possible for her to avoid the process of screening. In any case, it is not advisable to give any written agreement to become an egg donor before the screening is completed. It is also important to keep in mind, that after the woman is screened, she may have access to all the results of her medical tests, independently of whether she suits for becoming an egg donor or not.
The egg donors screening involves general medical screening and psychological screening.
General medical screening. A woman will have a physical examination, including a pelvic exam. It is necessary to make blood analysis in order to check the potential egg donor’s hormonal levels. In addition, this woman will have to make ultrasound investigation in order to provide the examination of her uterus, ovaries and other pelvic organs. All these examinations are aimed at revealing of any existing health problem. In case if anything is found, potential egg donor should ask about her options for treatment. She can ask either someone from the program or some other health professional.
A woman, who wants to become an egg donor, will have to provide a detailed medical as well s psychological history about herself and her close blood relatives. The questionnaire will include questions about her use of alcohol, cigarettes, and both prescription and illegal drugs. It is also necessary to point out, that there are many programs, which conduct unannounced drug tests during the process of screening and donation.
Infectious disease screening. It is not a secret, that when either blood or tissue is transferred from one person to another, it can carry all kinds of bacteria and viruses. In order to minimize the risk that a donor egg can cause some infectious disease in the recipient, potential donors are to be tested for a variety of infections.
A woman, who wants to become an egg donor, will have to undergo pelvic exam, during which a small scrape form her cervix is taken in order to test for Chlamydia, gonorrhea and other diseases. Blood is taken to be tested for syphilis, hepatitis B and C and HTLV – 1 (it is an extremely uncommon virus, which is associated with some kinds of cancer). A woman will also have a blood test to check whether she has been exposed to HIV. Some states’ laws require that the patients consent to this in writing, only after they read about all possible pros and cons of the test and understand, who ca receive the results of it.
It is clear, that no egg donor, who is at increase risk for exposure either to HIV or to any other infection, may be accepted. The woman may not donate her eggs, if she have injected drugs or been engaged in prostitution within the previous five years. She is also not eligible to donate eggs, if within the last hear she has been diagnosed with syphilis, or if she has received acupuncture, a tattoo or body piercing without being certain that sterile procedure were used. A woman may not become an egg donor, if she has had more than one sexual partner in the last six month, as well. It is also possible that the sexual partner / partners of the potential egg donor may be required to be tested for HIV, if necessary.
Before any potential egg donor is screened for infectious diseases, this woman is to make sure she understands and realizes the necessity of all the tests and whether and in what way she will be given the results of these tests. In case if any infection is found, the woman is to realize the necessity of seeking the medical treatment, in order to protect her own health as well as fertility.
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