Donor Egg

As a woman ages, she begins to produce less eggs, and at the same time, ovarian function diminishes. While the precise timing of ovarian aging differs in women and may actually be recognized before the age of 35 in some, it occurs eventually in all women and it is the reason why efforts to reproduce in older women are less successful.

The substitution of eggs donated from young women to allow a woman with ovarian aging or failure to become pregnant is possible with in vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg donation. In this process, a woman, usually under age 32 and preferably with a history of prior pregnancy, is recruited to undergo ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, after which she will give up any rights to offspring created using her eggs. The eggs can then be fertilized in the IVF laboratory with the sperm from the male partner of the intended parents. Embryos thus created are then transferred to the uterus of the woman after appropriate hormonal preparation. Success rates for IVF with egg donation are generally 10% greater than the average IVF pregnancy rates because the eggs come from young, fertile women.

RHS has a successful egg donation program with donors being recruited from the Pittsburgh area and screened according to FDA requirements for egg donor eligibility. Egg donors are usually anonymous to the recipients, but some recipients prefer using a donor who is known to them. Psychological counseling and comprehensive patient education for egg donor, recipient and partners are crucial in the success of the process.