Though most clinics and agencies will rule out candidates with certain physical or mental health problems on their own, you should beware of some red flags. The ASRM suggests a woman not donate her eggs if she has a serious psychological disorder, abuses drugs or alcohol (or has several relatives who do), or currently uses psychoactive medication. But even here the guidelines are not set in stone. “Everybody’s got a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” says Braverman “The question is, what’s your comfort level?”
For Karen, after all the factors to consider, the final decision on choosing an egg donor came down to a feeling. “My clinic sent me a packet of donor information – there were seven pages on each of the 13 donors. It was overwhelming,” she recalls. She read about the donors’ musical tastes, their favorite colors, how educated they were, and what languages they spoke. “But in the end, I just went with my gut. I wanted a proven donor, someone who didn’t seem like she was in it solely for the money.” And Karen made a good choice – her baby is ten months old now and the joy of her life.
*some names have been changed
A version of this article originally appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of Conceive Magazine.
Related Topics: Assisted Reproduction; Infertility; Infertility Support; Surrogacy
