Of course it is not just a question of wanting to help; there are also a number of conditions which a potential donor has to meet. These include:
Age: You must be younger than 35 years of age. The only exception to this rule is during a known donation treatment. That means you are donating for a specific woman that you know, as opposed to an
anonymous donation. This also requires the specific permission of both the recipient couple and the CRG team. If the treatment then leads to pregnancy, the couple receiving the donation will be advised to undergo a
prenatal examination.
In other situations, the CRG prefers anonymous donations. There are various reasons for this.
Health: You must be in good general health with no hereditary conditions in your family history. You will be asked to complete a number of preliminary examinations to confirm this. These will include consultation with a CRG doctor along with a physical and gynecological examination, an interview concerning family history, blood tests and ultrasound scans. Your blood group will also be determined and you will be screened for infections such as hepatitis, syphilis and HIV. Finally tests will be carried out to see whether you may be a carrier of a genetic disorder.
Other: During egg and embryo donation, it is not always possible to match the external characteristics of the donor and recipient. This is known as phenotype selection and the fact that it is not always possible is due to the lack of egg and embryo availability and the physical restrictions and complexity of the treatment. However we will always take the skin color of the donor and recipient into consideration.
