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Egg Donor Surge Makes Due Diligence Critical: 7 Questions Donors Should Ask

Posted on: Monday, 13 April 2009, 12:19 CDT

CHICAGO, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Are there medical complications related to egg donation? Do fertility clinics and egg recruitment agencies sufficiently inform eligible donors of the health risks versus the financial rewards? And do they sufficiently monitor outcomes?

Robin von Halle, president of Alternative Reproductive Resources (ARR), a leading Chicago-based egg donor and surrogate recruitment firm, says these are always critical issues for the fertility industry.

"As more young women investigate egg donation because of the economy, we can't treat them as 'vendors,'" she says. "We must take care in providing upfront information and counseling on these issues as part of the caring approach they deserve as our partners."

ARR employs rigorous emotional and health screens to evaluate prospective donors. It counsels them such health risks as ovarian hyper-stimulation - the most common side effect that only rarely causes more than physical discomfort. It also ensures their needs are met, from legal representation to insurance. "We're always available for questions and are in contact after the process is over," says von Halle.

Young women attracted by the compensation (not to exceed $10,000 according to American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines) should not let it overcome good sense, von Halle says. Their due diligence should cover the following questions:

• What are the health risks, specifically and statistically?
• How many donation cycles do you allow?
• What's your level of experience, based on total donor cycles completed?
• Do you provide qualified legal representation for donors?
• Do you provide insurance in the event of medical complications?
• What does your donor screening process entail?
• Can I talk to your current and past egg donors?

As the fertility industry grows, its members must take care that their practices and behaviors serve all parties well, notes von Halle. "But egg donors must remember that it's their bodies and no one is as deeply vested in their health as they are," she adds. "Asking the right questions upfront will help protect them."

Founded in 1992, ARR was the first donor recruitment agency in Chicago and Midwest, and one of the first in the country. For further information, e-mail von Halle at info@arr1.com, or call 773.327.7315.

Media contact: Robyn Velasquez Hodge Schindler Integrated Communications 312.666.6662 rvelasquez@hodgeschindler.com

SOURCE Alternative Reproductive Resources

Source: PR Newswire

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