Egg Donor Screening
At European Egg Bank, comprehensive egg donor screening is an essential part of our donor recruitment. We hold ourselves and our partners to the highest standards, and ensure all our donors meet strict medical, fertility and psychological criteria.
What is egg donor screening?
Egg donor screening is the process used to determine whether potential donors are suitable candidates for donation. Donors undergo medical, fertility and psychological assessments to ensure they are healthy, emotionally prepared and can donate a sufficient number of high-quality eggs.
Why are egg donors screened?
Effective donor screening is a fundamental part of regulated fertility treatment, and helps us provide safe and reliable fertility support. Our rigorous screening process is designed to safeguard the health of egg recipients and donor-conceived individuals. It also increases the chance of retrieving high-quality eggs.
How are egg donors screened?
The donor screening process involves a comprehensive assessment to ensure donor suitability. It evaluates potential donors in several ways. A potential egg donor must meet all of the screening criteria to be approved:
Medical
Potential donors undergo blood testing and genetic evaluations to ensure they do not carry any contagious diseases or hereditary conditions. A full family medical history is also evaluated.
Lifestyle
Potential donors are screened for lifestyle factors that may influence health and fertility.
Fertility
Potential donors undergo an ultrasound scan and blood test to assess their ovarian reserve and response.
Psychological
Potential donors are interviewed to make sure they are making an informed decision, understand the implications of donating eggs, and are emotionally prepared to do so.
What can prevent someone from donating eggs?
Only a small percentage of applicants are approved to become egg donors., Our screening requirements are strict and an applicant may be unable to donate if their medical history, ovarian reserve or response to fertility medication does not meet our criteria.
Are all donor egg screening processes the same?
No, screening standards and processes vary between countries, clinics and egg banks. Some are more rigorous and comprehensive than others. Screening programmes follow the relevant national guidelines and regulations, but can still diverge due to different testing protocols or evaluation criteria. For instance, some programmes may screen for more genetic conditions than others or impose tighter age requirements.
As an aspiring parent, it is important that you understand the screening process and what it involves. It is a big part of building trust with your egg bank. Each donor’s medical history is available on their profile, ensuring you have access to screening results.
Choosing European Egg Bank
At European Egg Bank, our partners play a crucial role in donor screening. Adhering to international fertility regulations, including the European Union Tissue and Cell Directive, they ensure that all donors meet our rigorous standards. This allows us to provide healthy, high-quality eggs to aspiring parents.
Find your egg donor
If you want to learn more about our donor screening process or Known Carrier Match service, book a free consultation with our expert advisers. They can talk you through the steps taken to ensure donor suitability.