The Donor Screening Process
Immediately after your donor has committed to working with you and you have completed all of the necessary paperwork, we will send your fertility clinic all of the information that they will need to schedule the donor’s screening appointment. The screening process varies from clinic to clinic, but at most clinics the screening consists of the following steps.
Review of Paperwork
Most fertility clinics will require your donor to complete a questionnaire prepared by your clinic. Most clinics also require that your donor provide results from a recent pap smear, as well as an annual physical exam. We encourage all donors to schedule an appointment with their own physician to have these tests done as soon as they are accepted into our donor program. This usually, but not always, means that we will be able to provide these results to your clinic as soon as you are matched. On occasion, donors are not able to schedule an appointment with their physician for several months. In such cases, we will have the donor schedule an appointment at a different location. In other words, we will do everything possible to ensure that your clinic has all of the required information as quickly as possible.
Medical Screening
Once the egg donor coordinator at your clinic has approved your donor’s paperwork, the clinic will contact the donor to schedule the medical screening. Typically, donors will meet with an IVF Physician, a nurse coordinator and lastly a social worker or psychologist. Clinics differ slightly on the specific tests that are performed, but all donors undergo fertility testing, sexually transmitted disease testing, and other testing required under FDA guidelines. Test results typically take approximately 2 weeks to come back.
Psychological Screening
All clinics require donors to be psychologically screened to ensure that they understand the process and are comfortable donating. While all clinics require the donor to take a standardized test such as the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), other clinics require different and/or additional psychological testing. All clinics will also have your donor meet with a psychologist or social worker to make sure the donor is a qualified candidate to proceed with the donation.
If you have any questions about the exact nature of your clinic’s screening process, please feel free to contact us. You should also contact the egg donor coordinator and/or your physician at your IVF Clinic.
CSED’s Commitment
The donor team at CSED, Inc. will be in touch with your clinic, your donor and you during the screening process to ensure that all aspects of the screening go smoothly. Upon review of the donor candidate’s screening results, it is possible on rare occasions for a donor to be disqualified. In the unlikely event that your donor is screened out, the donor team at CSED, Inc. will make it our # 1 priority to match you with another donor immediately. Unlike at some other donor agencies, you will not be charged any additional matching fee. At CSED, Inc., we guarantee that if your donor is disqualified, we will continue to work with you until you have a donor who is approved by your clinic.