3. FIND A CLINIC
There are several ways to find a clinic to which you'd like to donate an egg:
- Print publications. Clinics and agencies recruit donors through ads in college and grad school newspapers, in health and fitness magazines, and in other niche publications. Many of these advertisements are also placed by families searching for very particular specifications (such as our example in the introduction).
- Doctor. You can locate a clinic or agency that is recruiting in your area by asking your doctor about it -- he/she will undoubtedly know where to direct you, and he/she might have some side information that directly applies to you.
- Specific agencies. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology offers listings. Just click on your state, enter your address, and it will match you up to your nearest clinic.
Make sure that the doctors at the clinic or agency you choose are board certified ob/gyn specialists or reproductive endocrinologists. Remember, this is your body we're talking about. Be confident about the professional qualifications and ethics of the people who will guide you through the egg donor process. Ask tons of questions, and make sure that you feel completely comfortable with the clinic. Before you sign anything, interview the doctor. Ask how many egg donation surgeries he/she has performed, what kinds of complications you could suffer from, and if he/she has any referral patients to whom you could speak. ANY hesitancy on any of these points should be a hint that you should fry your eggs at another clinic.
