One of the fastest growing venues for seeking out an egg donor is the American college campus. While there has been considerable ethical debate surrounding the practice of charging more for the eggs of college educated, high IQ individuals, there has been little discussion of the difficulties encountered by potential parents who do not go through a donor location agency. Simply placing an advertisement in campus newspaper and waiting for someone to bite isn’t always as straightforward as it might seem. Here are several things to consider when attempting foregoing donor location agency:
1. You have limited means for requesting a psychological evaluation.
The mindset of the potential egg donor is crucial to the success of the transaction. Many donors don’t realize how physically invasive the procedures will be. Others are less likely to take the necessary precautions to avoid pregnancy during the fertility treatment cycle. Psychological screening by an experienced psychologist is necessary to protect both the donor and the potential parents. Agencies that seek out donors on a regular basis have qualified psychologists on staff to perform evaluations.
2. It’s very difficult to do a full background/medical check without the help of an agency.
Agencies perform extensive background checks. Some even go so far as to require donors to undergo DNA testing for common genetic abnormalities. These tests are obtained at a massively discounted, bulk rate. The added cost of arranging for these tests on your own will likely mitigate any savings you might have achieved by finding someone on your own.
3. Donor location agencies know the legal ins and outs of the donation procedure.
This final consideration is arguable the most important. Whenever you are legally contracting someone to undergo a medical procedure, the legal proceedings must be absolutely perfect. This insures that the rights of both parties involved are adequately protected. Having a private lawyer draft the documents is a somewhat risky proposition, as it’s unlikely that the lawyer will be as completely familiar with the process as an agency-hired legal representative would be.
All said, potential parents are less likely to encounter problems when they find donors through a donor location agency.
Bio: Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident education blogger and performs research surrounding College Scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
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