If you were to use any form of third party reproduction to conceive - surrogacy, donor egg or sperm – should the child know? Given the growing number of Americans affected by infertility in the US and the drastic increase in the use of donor egg and sperm in recent years, this has become the million dollar question posed to recipients, health care professionals and society.

The first baby conceived through donated eggs was born in 1984 and the demand for the procedure exploded in the early 90’s. Over the last decade, an estimated 6000 women in the United States have given birth using donated eggs. As a result, the intensity of this “disclosure” debate has skyrocketed, especially as the first wave of children born in this fashion, reached an age where they could comprehend and explore their genetic history.

Research shows that as many as 44% of parents that use donor eggs do not intend to tell their children the truth about their genetic origins. Interestingly however, this figure has decreased dramatically from earlier research, which tracked 35 sperm donor families and found that 86% had no intention of telling their children. .

This is such a crucial question to answer and also one that is extremely personal. Current trends definitely lean towards full disclosure. While many of our recipients spend considerable time exploring the pros and cons, most conclude that it’s in the best interest of the child to share their genetic origins – particularly in recent years as the evidence of the critical role of genetics in health has escalated. In addition, full disclosure is further supported by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology and an array of current adoption studies.

While many recipients fear disclosure for a number of reasons – the child’s emotional reaction, the reactions of friends and relatives, fear that the child will no longer trust them, or even reluctance to introduce the image of a potential second mother - there are many important reason’s why couples should inform their child, that he or she was conceived through a donor procedure. For example

• As they grow up, children usually have the ability to sense out family secrets
• Children who “sense” there is something wrong, may assume it’s about them and develop related insecurities
• Secrets rarely stay secret and can often be damaging
• If a child finds out accidentally, issues of trust and betrayal are likely to arise
• Access to a child’s genetic background is critical and may be needed for future medical purposes

Deciding whether or not to inform the child that they were conceived through third party reproduction is one of the most major decision “intended” parents face; one they must fully explore before reaching a final conclusion. At CEO, we have guided hundreds of couples through this process and work closely with reputable and experienced mental health professionals that provide significant insight into this debate.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 847-656-8733 or info@egg411.com

With infertility rates skyrocketing in the US, using donor eggs has become a more widely accepted family building option as more and more selfless women choose to become egg donors. In fact, the number of donated eggs transferred to patients in the US rises annually, with more than an 80% increase in the number of babies born through donor eggs since 2000.

However, the process of egg donation is also bringing to the forefront a shocking phenomenon causing much concern among health care professionals. Alarming numbers of young women are not attending their annual exams and through egg donation, are being found to have HPV (Human Papilloma Virus), Hepatitis, thyroid problems, Chlamydia and an array of asymptomatic health conditions – some donors even learn of their own infertility.

While it is concerning that preliminary health checks can bring to light potential health problems, the good thing is that the typical egg donor is young (aged 21-30) and that these conditions are caught in time to treat appropriately. This process has served as a form of preventative medicine for so many of our potential donors, who were able to catch things before it was too late. Many donors that learn of health conditions are grateful the process provided so much critical information and they were able to make the necessary health and lifestyle changes to combat their conditions.

One donor explains, had it not have been for her experiences through CEO and egg donation, she would likely not have caught specific PAP smear abnormalities at an early enough stage, which could have possibly caused irreversible damage to her reproductive system. “Every day I am grateful of what I learned through being an egg donor,” she adds.

For more information on egg donation, please contact us at 773.490.eggs or info@egg411.com.

With advanced reproductive technologies, relaxed fertility laws and a general shift in attitudes towards gay parenting, donor and surrogacy alternatives are serving a rapidly increasing demand from gay couples to conceive a genetic child. Currently between 8 and 10 million children are being raised in gay or lesbian households, and with many more gay couples aspiring to be parents, this option provides new opportunities to extend the family tree.

While lesbian women pioneered gay parenthood in the early 90’s using sperm donors, gay men have faced additional technological and cultural barriers. For those wanting a family, adoption difficulties arose for various reasons; namely limited availability of domestic children for adoption, international restrictions on gay couples adopting children and birth parents usually not selecting gay couples as adoptive parents.

However, the gay community is playing a major role in revolutionizing modern reproductive alternatives and parenting. At CEO, we have played a significant role in helping same sex couples build families and also have surrogates that only wish to work with gay couples. It’s extremely rewarding to see the joy that results from bringing all these parties together - donors, surrogates and intended parents.

While the United States has fewer regulatory obstacles associated with the donor and surrogacy process, countries such as the UK and Australia continue to debate the legality of same-sex couples as parents and are only slowly passing regulations allowing gay couples to utilize alternative reproductive options such as surrogacy. As a result, there is a growing trend of same sex couples traveling to the US to seek egg donors and surrogates, particularly in progressive states like Illinois and California where laws are particularly surrogacy friendly.

The gay and lesbian community is a rapidly growing demographic for the fertility industry; so much so that the American Fertility Association has committed itself to providing additional resources for GLBT couples and hosts unique seminars that address special issues confronting GLBT parent hopefuls. While a woman’s age no longer presents solid barriers to conception, gender and sexual orientation no longer impede couples from having a biological child.

For more information on gestational surrogacy, please contact us at 847.656.8733 or 773.490.eggs

Alarmingly, couples seeking foreign surrogates have very limited involvement with the surrogate and the entire process. They are usually only required to visit the destination for in-vitro fertilization and to pick up the baby, and generally only rely on pregnancy updates provided via email and chat forums.

While such reproductive tourism may sound appealing to some, it is important that couples understand that surrogacy is a highly emotional and complex process for surrogates, intended parents and the agency. Successful surrogacy requires rigorous screening, regular medical testing and constant professional and psychological support throughout the entire journey - extremely critical factors which can be compromised through outsourcing the process for cheaper, less reliable alternatives.

Despite the fact that very few countries actually allow commercial surrogacy, industry experts believe that cutting costs by working with surrogates from developing countries raises additional questions of exploitation, women’s rights, required regulation, inequality and the crucial issue of quality of health care received during the process. Most alarmingly, many of the developing countries fronting the international surrogacy market also have extremely high maternal death rates.

The process of surrogacy is not something that should be compromised in any way. If you have any questions about this process, feel free to email us at info@egg411.com or call 847-656-8733.

Recent attention surrounding insufficient record keeping within donor agencies and potential health issues of anonymous donors has sparked widespread debate about the need for a national egg and sperm donor registry. Industry experts met recently for the first ever national conference to explore the pros and cons of creating of a registry to track donor’s genetic, medical information and babies born from their donations.

While some unfortunate circumstances have made headlines, claims that agencies operate with little oversight and poor record keeping is concerning. Twenty five years in the medical industry has taught me how imperative it is to keep and stringently monitor critical health information. This has been the major focus for CEO since day one.

Barriers to creating a registry arise partially because donors wish to remain private and in countries such as the UK where donor registries do exist, egg and sperm donations greatly decrease. With 40,000 children born each year in the US through donor egg and sperm, it is critical that proposed regulations in no way discourage potential donors. Donor privacy is paramount and it is critical that with or without a national registry, donors have the option to remain anonymous and have their privacy protected.

However, so long as there is no national registry, the focus must be on individual agencies to closely examine donors and ensure the health and safety of all parties. At CEO, we keep and regularly monitor all records indefinitely, despite the FDA’s requirement to only store records for 10 years. Keeping records has enabled us able to effectively handle situations where vital donor health information needed to be passed to recipients – all while ensuring the privacy of the donor.

While most discussions have focused on the negative health impact of donor genetics, it’s important to note that comprehensive tracking can also provide vital medical resources when children born through donor sperm or eggs need a bone marrow transplant or organ donation. Should a disease or sex-linked disorder arise, donor access could actually aide in treatment and provide lifesaving information for scientific research and the future possibility of cellular therapy. Sperm and egg donors not only provide the gift of life, in some cases they also have the potential to save lives - one very strong argument for a national registry.

The number of donated eggs transferred to patients in the US rises annually. The most recent statistics from 2005 show that about 6500 women successfully delivered babies with egg donors – an 88% increase from five years earlier. With infertility rates rising, there is a growing demand for sperm and egg donors as this is often the only viable family building option many infertile couples have.  Therefore, it is critical that the industry continues to encourage donors by ensuring protection of their privacy.

At CEO we guarantee donor anonymity. Please feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions regarding egg donation or surrogacy.