Donor Eggs

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Donor eggs are a way to achieve a pregnancy through in vitro fertilization (IVF) using eggs that aren't your own. We may recommend this option for women with diminished ovarian reserves or other conditions that affect the quality or quantity of their eggs.

At Penn Fertility Care - Lancaster General Health, we guide you through the entire process, from egg donor selection to your embryo transfer procedure. You receive personalized care from an experienced team focused on helping you build a family.

Are Donor Eggs Right for Me?

There are a variety of reasons to consider donor eggs:

Age: Advanced maternal age (older than 35) means you may have a diminished ovarian reserve, which can make it difficult to get pregnant.
Genetic conditions: Women with known genetic or chromosomal abnormalities may choose donor eggs to reduce the risk of passing a disease on to their child.
Ovarian conditions: Conditions such as primary ovarian insufficiency or the absence of one or both ovaries can lead to infertility.
Previous cancer treatment: Some women are infertile after chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery, unless they did egg freezing before treatment.
Same-sex male couples: Men can use their own sperm to fertilize donor eggs and transfer the embryo to a gestational carrier's uterus through IVF.
Unsuccessful IVF cycles: If you've had multiple failed IVF cycles using your own eggs, it may be time to consider donor eggs.

How Do I Get Donor Eggs?

We work with several frozen egg banks for couples choosing a frozen donor egg. Once you purchase the frozen eggs, they are shipped to our on-site embryology lab where we store them until you're ready to use them for IVF.

Same-sex female couples doing partner-assisted reproduction may use fresh donor eggs, where one partner is the egg "donor" and the other partner carries the pregnancy.

What Should I Know About Fresh vs. Frozen Donor Eggs?

There are pros and cons to both types of donor eggs. Overall, success rates using fresh donor eggs are slightly higher than those using frozen donor eggs, mainly due to the higher number of eggs retrieved from a fresh donor cycle. However, using fresh donor eggs requires more preparation and coordination (you have to sync your cycle with that of the egg donor). Fresh donor egg IVF also tends to be more expensive than using frozen eggs. Your fertility specialist can tell you more about important considerations of using fresh vs. frozen donor eggs.

Are Donor Eggs Safe?

Egg donors are thoroughly screened for genetic conditions, infectious diseases, mental health conditions and other problems that could affect egg quality or the health of the child. People with medical or genetic conditions are not accepted as egg donors. At the time of the match, you'll be able to review a detailed profile about the donor's medical and reproductive history.

What Can I Expect During the Donor Egg IVF Process?

Here's what you can expect during the donor egg IVF process:

Donor selection: You choose eggs from a range of donors. You can filter donors by hair color, eye color, race, heritage, height, weight, age and level of education.
Recipient testing: The egg recipients undergo blood tests and imaging exams to ensure the man's sperm is healthy enough to fertilize the donor egg, and to make sure the woman is healthy enough to carry a pregnancy.
Preparation: You take medication to thicken the lining of your uterus and prepare it for the embryo transfer. If you use fresh donor eggs from your partner, both your cycles need to be synced. This ensures your uterus is ready for the embryo transfer shortly after we retrieve and fertilize eggs from your partner. If you use frozen eggs, they'll be ready when you are.

How Much Does Donor Egg IVF Cost?

The cost of donor egg IVF varies widely. You should consider the cost of the IVF process itself, in addition to the significant added costs of paying the egg donor (including their medical and insurance costs). Insurance rarely covers donor egg IVF. You should also consider the possibility that you may need multiple cycles to achieve a pregnancy.

Donor Egg IVF: Why Choose Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health?

At Penn Fertility Care - Lancaster General Health, you'll find:

Lancaster County's only embryology lab: We handle and store donor eggs in our on-site embryology lab, the only one of its kind in Lancaster County. You can rest assured that your eggs are just steps from our clinic, safe and secure.
Personalized attention: You receive guidance and support at every stage of the donor egg process. We help you navigate the medical, legal and financial considerations of using donor eggs, so you can feel confident and informed.
Specialty expertise: If you're using donor eggs, it may mean that you have a medical condition that makes IVF more complex. Our fertility specialists have decades of combined experience helping a vast range of people with many fertility challenges achieve success.