This document provides guidance on questions to ask potential fertility clinics when considering egg donation. It recommends asking about success rates, costs, communication policies, doctor qualifications, procedures, and financing options. The key message is to be an informed consumer by asking many questions to find the best fit clinic and feel comfortable with the doctor and staff. Clinic comparisons can help determine criteria for treatment success and support services available.

1. By: Marna Gatlin Parents Via Egg Donation www.pved.org

2. Differences Do Matter No two programs are alike What are success rates? Where do I begin? Where Do I Begin? What is SART? What is the CDC? www.sart.org www.cdc.gov/ART/

3. How Do I Know Which Clinic Is The Best Fit For Me? This question is asked a lot – we at PVED encourage our parents to ask lots of questions. Being an informed, and educated consumer is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Don’t be afraid to call and ask questions of every fertility clinic you are considering. Different clinics have different criteria for what they consider treatment success – make sure you ask about that. There is a lot to be said about the rapport you have with your doctor and its staff. If you aren’t comfortable regardless of how wonderful the clinic is said to be, it may not be the clinic for you. www.pved.org is a great place to find information about all the aspects of egg donation. Questions to Ask Potential Clinics Ask your future clinic about their technology. Ask your future clinic about age limits for treatment. Ask your future clinic if the doctor you see for a consultation will be the doctor you will see on an ongoing basis.

4. Information About Embryo Transfers, Number Of Cycles, Shared Cycles, And Embryo Donation Ask your future clinic about their determinations on transferring of embryos back into the uterus. Ask your future clinic how many donor egg cycles they perform annually. Ask your future clinic if they perform shared cycles. Ask your future clinic if they participate in embryo donation

5. What Does All This Cost? The costs vary between clinics, but you should anticipate between $15,000 and $49,000. depending on what clinic and program you select. You will want to find out what all is included in the fee structure: donor fees, in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer, medications, embryo freezing, etc… Ask your future clinic about the cost of treatment. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? Ask your future clinic if they participate in a shared risk program How am I going to pay for this? What about financing?

6. Communicating With Your Future Clinic Ask your future clinic how they communicate with their patients. Is it primarily by telephone or e-mail? Will you have access to your doctor’s e-mail address? How does the doctors’ on-call rotation work?

7. Is It Okay To Ask My Doctor Questions? Where did you receive your medical training? When? Are you a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist? How long have you been treating infertility? Do you or your nurse have a call-in time so that I can ask questions? Who can I call if I have a problem after office hours? Can procedures be done on weekends? Is the clinic open every day including weekends and bank holidays? Are you affiliated with a hospital? Ask your future clinic about other resources they may provide, including counseling or support groups, acupuncture, and other non-medical support.

8. GO WITH YOUR GUT Listen to how you feel. It’s okay to shop around. Remember you are in the drivers seat. It’s okay to ask questions. Keep your eye on the prize – which is a baby!

9. For Further Information… Parents Via Egg Donation, or PVED, was created to provide an informational and supportive environment where parents and parents-to-be can learn and share information about all facets of the egg donation process. Our mission is to educate, support, and empower families and individuals at any stage of the process who choose to use egg donation to build a family. We share information about agencies, legal and medical professionals, treatment centers, mental health therapists, pharmaceutical companies, and other resources. You may contact us via the web at www.pved.org or [email_address]