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Medical and Psychological History

All egg donors need to disclose the details of their medical and psychological history. The medical and psychological history of all immediate blood relatives must also be disclosed, in order to check for any serious illnesses or disease.

Infectious Disease Screening

Infectious disease screening generally consists of a variety of blood tests that are performed in order to detect the presence of some common infectious diseases. Your agency or reproductive endocrinologist should screen for:

• gonorrhea
• chlamydia
• syphilis
• HIV
• hepatitis B and C
• HLTV-1 (a rare virus associated with some types of cancer

Genetic Disease Screening

Egg donors are also tested for any genetic diseases or disorders. Because there are so many different kinds of genetic diseases, egg donors are usually tested according to ethnicity (some ethnic groups are more prone to certain genetic diseases), medical history, or the specific needs of the recipient.

A DNA and chromosomal analysis will be performed in order to determine the likelihood that the egg donor may carry or pass on the DNA for a genetic disease.

Psychological Evaluation

All egg donors must also successfully complete a psychological screen performed by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. All donors that pass the medical and genetic portion of their screen will meet with a mental health therapist i in order to discuss their emotional and mental history. They will complete some clinical psychological evaluations and discuss their reasons for becoming an egg donor.