On this Frequently Asked Questions page, we elaborate on the most common questions we receive from intended parents. If you have any additional questions, our team is always here to help.
Skip ahead:
• Embryo Donation FAQ
• Frozen Donor Egg Cycle FAQ
Getting Started
Q. What is Donor Nexus?
A. Donor Nexus is an egg donor agency and egg bank dedicated to providing affordable egg and embryo donation through fresh egg donor cycles, frozen egg donor cycles, and frozen donor embryo cycles. We are committed to providing not only affordable egg donation, but superior outcomes utilizing only the most elite IVF physicians and laboratories available at any price. As an international agency, we proudly work with intended parents and egg donors from around the world.
Q. How do I begin with the egg donation process?
A. You may register with our online egg donor database to begin searching for your egg donor. You will then receive an email from Donor Nexus with more information about the program you are interested in. We are available for consultations in person, over the phone, or via Skype.
Q. Can I meet the egg donor before I confirm the match?
A. Yes! Donor Nexus is happy to offer in-person or Skype meetings for intended parents to get to know the egg donor prior to confirming the match, as long as the egg donor agrees to the meeting. To facilitate the meeting, we will collect a non-refundable $500, which will be put toward our cycle fees if the intended parent moves forward with our agency.
Q. Are there any guarantees when using a first-time egg donor?
A. As part of our Fresh Egg Donor Cycle, we offer a First Time Egg Donor Guarantee to intended parent(s) who choose a first time egg donor. Our guarantee: If your chosen first time egg donor does not pass one of her prescreen evaluations, we will transfer 100% of your deposit onto another Donor Nexus egg donor of your choosing. Learn more: First Time Egg Donor Guarantee
Q. Who are Donor Nexus’ clients?
A. Donor Nexus clients are loving families and individuals who are seeking to grow their families through the assistance of egg donation and embryo donation.
Q. What about non-traditional families?
A. Donor Nexus supports the right of all loving families to access care, including traditional married couples, unmarried couples, same sex couples, and individuals seeking a single parent family.
Q. Who are Donor Nexus’ egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus egg donors are young women aged 19 to 29 years that are fit, healthy and happy. They are college students, young working women and sometimes mothers themselves. They are young women who wish to do something to help others. They are young women that believe in Donor Nexus’ mission of providing egg donation to the many thousands that need it.
Q. How does Donor Nexus find egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus does very little advertising for egg donors. Many egg donors approach Donor Nexus on their own when they hear about the program through a friend, family member, or past patient. We have an excellent referral program that encourages egg donors who have had positive experiences with our agency to refer their friends or family members who are interested in becoming egg donors themselves.
Q. How does Donor Nexus screen egg donors?
A. Donor Nexus adheres to the absolute highest egg donor screening standards in our industry. Remember, Donor Nexus is a partner in your cycle, as they will be placing the non-assigned eggs from each donor in their egg bank.
- Medical screening: The egg donor completes a comprehensive medical questionnaire and is interviewed and examined by a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility subspecialist. The exam includes both a physical examination and ultrasound assessment of the uterus and ovaries.
- Ovarian reserve testing: To insure that all of our egg donors are top producers of eggs, each egg donor has ovarian reserve testing completed which consists of a blood test looking at Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and an antral follicle count (AFC). The antral follicle count is a special ultrasound where the examiner counts the number of resting eggs the egg donor has. These three tests allow us to reject any egg donor not likely to have a good response to fertility medication, greatly reducing the risk of poor response or poor egg quality.
- Genetic screening (as requested by the specified fertility clinic): The egg donor is interviewed by a certified genetic counselor in order to identify if the egg donor has an increased risk for genetic diseases. The genetic counselor then recommends any specific tests needed for the egg donor based on her family history and ethnicity. In addition to these specific tests, the egg donor also is screened for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, Fragile-X, and a multitude of other genetic diseases. The results of both the genetic counselor’s report as well as the blood tests are available for review by the intended parents.
- Psychological screening: The egg donor is screened by a licensed mental health professional. This included an interview as well as an objective standardized written test (usually the MMPI). A summary of these test results is available to the intended parents.
- Infectious disease screening: The egg donor is screened for HIV 1 and 2, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HTLV 1 and 2, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea.
- Drug screening: The egg donor is screened for drugs of abuse including: opioids (heroine, morphine, prescription narcotics), cocaine, amphetamines and marijuana.
Q. Which program is right for me?
Donor Nexus offers Frozen Donor Egg Cycles for those who wish to cycle at a time that is convenient for the intended parent. With the Frozen Egg Donor cycle, you do not have to synchronize your cycle with an egg donor.
Donor Nexus also offers Embryo Donation Cycles. All of the embryos are located at HRC Fertility in Southern California. The embryos were all donated by previous IVF patients who are hoping to help other intended parents either start or complete their family.
Donor Nexus also offers One-on-One Fresh Egg Donor Cycles & Premier Egg Donor Cycles. These programs match one intended parent to one egg donor. The intended parent will receive all the eggs retrieved from the egg donor. This program is ideal for those who are hoping for more than 2 children or who wish to perform genetic screening on the embryos.
Q. Is there additional testing I can request on my egg donor?
A. Yes, if you would like to purchase additional testing on your egg donor, we can help facilitate as long as the donor agrees to the testing. Below are various additional tests you can request:
- Background check
- DNA testing (23&ME, MyHeritage.com)
- IQ Testing
Q. How do your costs work?
A. With all of our programs, we collect a one-time global fee. This fee can be paid in up to three installments. We offer a variety of payment options. Please see our ‘Financial Breakdown’ page for more information.
Q. Who is HRC Fertility?
A. Founded in 1988, HRC Fertility is the largest IVF program in the western United States with 8 offices across southern California. HRC Fertility has pregnancy rates that are in the top 10% of all IVF centers according the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an independent government agency. All covered care is performed at HRC Fertility and all egg retrievals and embryo transfers will be performed at HRC Fertility’s newest and most state of the art facility located in Newport Beach, California.
Q. Do you work with other fertility clinics besides HRC Fertility?
A. Yes, we do! We have worked with many other fertility clinics across the nation and our egg donors are available to travel to your clinic. Please contact Donor Nexus for a breakdown of fees.
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and first installment of funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The donor is officially matched only once we have received these 3 items.
Q. I’ve had pre-testing completed, how long is my pre-testing valid?
A. Generally, pre-testing is valid for up to 12 months.
Q. Do you have age restrictions for patients who would like to carry?
A. Each physician has his/her own age limits when treating patients. Generally, if a patient is over 50 years old, the physician will order additional tests to ensure the patient is healthy enough to carry. The additional testing includes a stress test, EKG, chest X-ray, mammogram, and pap smear. Most of these tests can be completed by your primary care physician.
Q. How long do you need to wait after a successful delivery to try again?
A. If you had a vaginal delivery, you need to wait at least 9 months. If you had a c-section, you need to wait at least 12 months. If you are breastfeeding, you must stop breastfeeding and have 2 normal periods before you complete your pretesting.
Frozen Donor Egg Cycle FAQ
Q. What is egg vitrification?
A. Egg vitrification is the most advanced technique of egg freezing available today. All of Donor Nexus’s frozen donor eggs have been frozen via vitrification. Sometimes referred to as “egg flash freezing”, the process of vitrification involves reducing the temperature rapidly. This transforms the egg from a liquid state to a vitreous state instantaneously. The advantageous result of this modern technology is it limits the formation of ice crystals in the egg. When eggs are frozen using older technology, the freezing occurs more slowly and heightens the risk of ice crystal formations. The ice crystals can subsequently destroy the structure of the cell.
Q. Will I have an opportunity to meet my egg donor?
A. The majority of egg donations are anonymous. The only time an intended parent is able to meet their egg donor is if both parties agree to have an open donation. Donor Nexus will facilitate the meeting and be present to act as the mediator. If an intended parent wishes to have an open donation, a new legal contract will need to be drafted.
Q. Can I give my child the opportunity to communicate with the egg donor in the future?
A. We cannot guarantee this opportunity unless you elect to have an open donation with the donor.
Q. How long does the process take once I find an egg donor?
A. The length of time is dependent upon which program you choose.
If you choose a frozen egg cycle or a donor embryo cycle, once funds and your contract are complete, the time is dependent on the amount of time needed to prepare your uterus or the gestational carrier’s uterus for the embryos transfer. This ranges between 4 and 6 weeks.
Learn more:
Egg donor cycle timeline
Donor embryo cycle timeline
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and first installment of funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The egg donor is officially matched only once we have received these 3 items.
Learn more: Frozen Donor Egg Cycle
Donor Embryo FAQ
Q. I do not live locally to a HRC Fertility clinic, is the cycle fee discounted since I am not having my monitoring ultrasounds completed at an HRC Fertility office?
A. No, the cycle fee is the same regardless if you have the monitoring appointments at HRC Fertility or an outside clinic.
Q. When will my doctor and/or nurse coordinator be notified of the match?
A. Once we receive your preliminary forms, completed contract and funds, we will send your doctor and nurse coordinator an official match sheet. The match is official only once we have received these 3 items.
Q. Why can’t I see photos of the donor parents?
A. Embryo donation is an altruistic act on behalf of the donor parents. They are not compensated for donating the embryos, or for completing additional forms and questionnaires. Because of this, we receive limited information from the donor parents. All the information that has been provided to us is in the donor embryo profile. In the event the donor parents did provide photos, we will email those to you upon request.
Q. What does it mean if a profile says the donor parents want to have an open or semi open relationship?
A. At times, donor parents will request to have contact with the intended parents once a positive, ongoing pregnancy occurs OR a live birth. The intended parents will be required to sign an addendum which gives Donor Nexus consent to provide their contact information to the donating parents once a pregnancy is achieved. Open or semi open relationships can vary from yearly phone calls and photos to contact for medical necessity. Please inquire with Donor Nexus for more information.
Q. What about non-traditional families?
A. Donor Nexus supports the right of all loving families, including traditional married couples, unmarried couples, same sex couples, and individuals seeking a single parent family. At times, donor parents will request that certain prerequisites are met by the intended parents. These prerequisites will be listed on the donor embryo profile.
Q. What does FDA Ineligible mean?
A. FDA ineligible means that the donor parents did not have specific FDA labs drawn at an FDA certified laboratory prior to the embryo(s) being created. Because most donor parents do not create embryos with the intention of donating them in the future, they do not have this blood work completed. All donor parents have completed State Mandated Infectious Disease Screens which includes the testing of: HTLV 1 and 2, Hepatitis B and C, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, and HIV. Please contact your nurse coordinator or physician for a more detailed explanation.
Q. What if the embryos do not survive the thaw?
A. In the rare chance that the embryo(s) does/do not survive the thaw, we will either thaw additional embryos from the same profile or we will provide you “back up” embryo profiles to select from. If there is not another embryo profile of your liking and you do not complete an embryo transfer, you will receive a partial refund/credit.
Q. Do you take insurance?
A. No, Donor Nexus does not accept insurance. However, our partnering clinic, HRC Fertility, does accept insurance. If you think you have infertility coverage, HRC Fertility can run a benefit check to determine if your frozen embryo transfer cycle, medications, and/or pretesting is covered. Depending on your coverage, we will remove the frozen embryo transfer and medication costs from your cycle fee. HRC Fertility will then bill your insurance directly for those services.
Q. Do I receive a refund if I back out?
A. Yes, you will receive a partial refund if you decide not to move forward with your Donor Embryo Cycle. If you do not receive medical clearance from the physician at HRC Fertility, you will receive a 100% refund. If you decide not to move forward for other reasons before your cycle medications are ordered, you receive a full refund minus a $1,500 administration fee. If you decide to cancel your cycle after you start medications but before the embryo(s) is/are thawed, you will receive a 50% refund.
Q. What does the grading of an embryo mean?
A. The grading of an embryo is determined by the embryologist at the time the embryo is frozen. It is a method used to evaluate the quality of the embryo. At HRC Fertility, the embryo grading is as follows:
• Fully Hatching Blastocyst (FHB), Hatching Blastocyst (HB) BB or better = A
• Expanding Blastocyst (XB) BB or AA = A-/B+ X
• Blastocyst (B) BB or AA = B/B-
• Early Blastocyst (EB) AA or BB = C+/C
• Compacting (Comp) = C-
Donor Nexus can provide you with an overall grading of the embryo. The exact embryo grading and success rate will be discussed with you by your physician during your initial consultation.
Q. I’ve had pre-testing completed, how long is my pre-testing valid?
A. Generally, pre-testing is valid for up to 12 months.
Q. Do you have age restrictions for parents who would like to carry?
A. Each physician has his/her own age limits when treating patients. Generally, physicians will transfer embryos into women who are up to 53 years old. If a patient is over 45 years old, the physician will order additional tests to ensure the patient is healthy enough to carry a pregnancy. The additional testing includes a stress test, EKG, chest X-ray, mammogram, pap smear, and letter of medical clearance from a high risk obstetrician.. Most of these tests can be completed by your primary care physician.
Q. Can I ship my embryos to another clinic?
A. No, we are not able to transfer embryos to an outside clinic.
Q. Can I use a gestational carrier/surrogate to transfer donor embryos?
A. Yes, we have many recipients who transfer donor embryos into gestational carriers/surrogates.
Q. How is the process different if I use a gestational carrier (GC) / surrogate?
A. HRC Fertility requires every GC to undergo a medical evaluation prior to starting medications. The medical evaluation is more in depth than the pretesting that is required to transfer the embryos into your uterus. HRC Fertility charges for the medical evaluation, regardless if you have some or all of the testing done at an outside clinic. Because of this, we recommend the GC travel to Southern California for the one day medical evaluation. The GC will need to travel a total of 2 times to Southern California, once for medical screening and once for embryo transfer.
Q. I previously had an HSG (hysterosalpingogram) completed, can I use the report for my uterine cavity evaluation?
A. No, a HSG test is performed to determine if your fallopian tubes are open. A uterine cavity evaluation (sonohysterogram/mock transfer/hysteroscopy) is performed to check for any uterine anomalies such as polyps, septums, or fibroids that could impede the embryo from implanting.
Q. How do I know that I am getting the correct embryo profile that is being thawed and transferred?
A. On the day of your embryo transfer, your HRC consent forms will include your donor embryo profile number. Please be sure to write down your donor embryo profile number in advance.
Learn more: Embryo Donation Program Overview
