FAQs About Using an Egg Donor

Individuals and couples who struggle with infertility have more options than ever before. Egg donation, and the use of frozen eggs has opened up options for finding a donor that works well with your family and background. We understand that when considering using donor eggs, you will have many questions about the donor, process, costs and more.

Below are many of the answers to common questions about using an egg donor to build your family.

What will I know about my potential donor?

All potential Fairfax EggBank donors go through an extensive screening process where we gather important information to assist intended parents in the process of choosing an egg donor.

• Medical Information: We provide a full medical history profile of each donor, including genetics, behavioral, personal and family medical history across three generations.
• Personal Information: You will also receive a detailed profile that will cover personal information such as personality traits, motivations, goals, ambitions, interests and religion. We also provide the donor’s academic history and a detailed list of physical and facial features. Similar information on the donor’s parents and extended family members such as academic history and occupation will also be provided.
• Photos: You can view childhood photos within the donor profile, as well as professionally shot adulthood photos if you sign a confidentiality agreement form.
• Personal essays and interviews: Important pieces of the donor profile include personal essays and audio interviews which allow you to get a better idea of that donor’s personality.In summary, you have access to a tremendous amount of information about any potential donor so you can make the most informed decision when choosing a donor for yourself.

How can I be sure Fairfax EggBank egg donors will produce viable eggs?

More IVF clinics partner with Fairfax EggBank than any other egg bank, because of the trust they have in our experience and expertise.

Fairfax EggBank began in 2006 as part of the popular fresh donor egg IVF program at the Genetics & IVF Institute (GIVF). Fairfax EggBank is a subsidiary of the GIVF along with Fairfax Cryobank, one of the nation’s largest sperm banks that has been in operation for over 30 years.

Fairfax EggBank is confident in the quality of its donors, the expertise of its scientists, and the experience it has in freezing eggs. That’s why we offer an embryo development guarantee.

How much does egg donation cost?

We understand that going through this process can be both emotionally and financially straining. Therefore, we structur our pricing in a simple and straightforward manner, with no hidden fees or unexpected costs. Frozen donor eggs can also be more cost-effective, costing less than half of what a single fresh donor egg cycle costs. Our pricing can be found on our Recipient Financing Options page. We do offer various financing options and discount programs as well. We encourage you to check out our blog that discusses tips and resources for financing donor egg treatment to find ways to make donor eggs more affordable.

Can I obtain a medical or billing code to submit to my insurance for reimbursement?

As a human tissue bank, Fairfax EggBank is not a healthcare provider and does not participate in insurance plans.  We are unaware of any CPT, HCPCS, or other medical or billing codes for purchased donor egg cohorts on a stand-alone basis. As such, we will not be able to provide recipients with a code to submit to their insurance plans for reimbursement.

What is the difference between frozen and fresh donor eggs?

Frozen donor eggs are rapidly growing in popularity as patients demand increases and more IVF clinics embrace the technology.

• Frozen donor eggs: Since the donors are already pre-screened, have frozen donor eggs ready to ship, and don’t need to have cycles synchronized, recipients can select their donor, be guaranteed to receive a set number of good-quality eggs, and initiate a cycle quicker. Thus, frozen donor eggs are seen to be much more convenient and reliable, and give recipients a greater sense of control over time – something that they feel they do not have enough of in their quest to conceive a child. Frozen donor eggs can also be more cost-effective, as there are fewer expenses involved in undergoing an egg donation cycle.
• Fresh donor eggs: While fresh donor eggs can result in more eggs for an intended parent to use, there is more risk, time, and the potential for additional expenses involved. For example, once an intended parent chooses a donor, the donor will need to pass additional testing requirements. There’s a risk that she’ll either fail screening tests or even change her mind about donating. If she passes screening requirements, an intended parent must then time their cycle (or that of a gestational carrier)  with the donor’s menstrual cycle and availability. And if she does move forward to complete an egg donation cycle, there’s also a risk that the egg retrieval may yield few or no eggs. The intended parent is still be responsible for all costs regardless of success.

Learn other differences between fresh and frozen donor eggs here.

Where does my treatment cycle and embryo transfer take place?

Fairfax EggBank partners with over 450 IVF clinics across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Israel. These clinics have been specially trained by our Fairfax EggBank embryologist to warm frozen donor eggs according to our protocol in order to achieve optimal success. Fairfax EggBank will ship eggs to any of these clinics.

You can view the list of partnering IVF clinics here. If you don’t see your preferred clinic, then not to worry: simply contact your clinic representative and let them know you are interested in using frozen donor eggs from Fairfax EggBank. Our Client Relations Team will begin the steps to partner with your clinic. This can be done while we work on securing your donor egg cohort(s).

If I use donor eggs, will the baby be mine?

100% yes! The donor waives all rights to her donor eggs. Egg donors assume no responsibility or liability for any child conceived by their donation.

Can I meet my egg donor?

We offer the option for our egg donors to be a non-ID Option donor, or an ID Option donor. If an egg donor chooses the ID Option, she agrees to allow us to release her identity and contact information only to the donor-conceived child, not the recipients of donor eggs, once that child reaches the age of 18 and requests the information. As a recipient, you may choose whether to go with an non-ID Option or ID Option donor. For more information about our ID Option Donor Program, click here.

We hope that this blog has been able to answer some questions you may have. If you want to learn more about the egg donation process be sure to check out our FAQ page for more answers to common questions. You’ve got this, parent-to-be!

If your question is not listed here feel free to message us so a team member can answer any additional or more specific questions you may have.