Should the Donor be anonymous?

The Egg Donor Agency program is designed to be anonymous, therefore Recipients do not meet or talk with their selected egg donor. However, if a cycle is planned and both the Recipient and the Donor are comfortable meeting, even if only on a first-name basis, PFC can facilitate the introduction. This decision must be made prior to the initiation of the cycle.

The decision whether or not to meet the donor may be made very quickly or you may feel the decision is a more difficult process. To help you with this part of the process, we have included examples of two couples who reached two different decisions. In the first case, the couple explains why they chose an anonymous egg donor and in the latter example, the donor and the couple met. Either choice is a valid one and will be supported by our staff.

Two different decisions:

Why we chose an anonymous donor.

"We decided to use an anonymous donor through an agency because we wanted to keep an emotional distance from the donor. After years of infertility, we wanted to see this child as a product of our relationship and we did not want direct contact with the donor. Maybe this is denial, but we think after all we've been though we're entitled to make this choice. Since we will be going through the pregnancy, birth and raising the child the donor's contribution is important, but seems minimal in comparison to our contribution of a lifetime. Also, we see this process as very personal and private. We have not told anyone we are going through egg donation. We do not want our identities disclosed to anyone."

Why we decided to meet our donor.

"Although we got a good feeling from the donor's profile and essay, we felt that we wanted to be able to talk with her and get to know her. After all, this person is contributing half of the genetic material! We were very nervous about meeting, we found out that she was too. We asked her questions about her family and interests and she asked us some questions about what we had been through. I am really glad we met. When we tell our child about the egg donation, we will be able to tell him or her about their genetic parent and our meeting with the donor. I will have a picture to show and we are saving the profile. The donor said she would be willing to be contacted when our daughter reaches 18 and can answer any questions she may have. I think the child is entitled to this information and I want her to know that we really liked the donor."

Can I place a "hold" on an egg donor?

Unfortunately, we cannot hold a donor. Once your consults and lab work at the clinic are completed, you can select your donor.

What if we choose an out-of-town donor from your registry?

PFC will take care of all the coordination for her appointments and the egg retrieval. There will be additional expenses she will incur for travel, lodging and food for which you would be responsible.

How do I access the donor registry?

Call our Egg Donor Agency at 1(800)734-2015 and one of our staff members will assign you a username and password. If you would like to view our registry in-person, we ask that you call us between 9am and 5pm, Monday through Friday.

How often do you add new donors to your registry?

New applications arrive every day. The egg donors' applications are reviewed by the medical staff, then they are evaluated by our family therapist. Once a donor is approved, her file will be opened and placed in the PFC registry. Approximately 25% of our applicants qualify to become egg donors.

Can I use Pacific Fertility Center donors at another clinic?

We work exclusively with Pacific Fertility Center patients, so you must be a patient our clinic in order to use our donors.