We recruit donors from different sources including advertisements in local publications such as Back Stage, AM New York and Washington Square News, and through on screen advertisements in movie theatres in various New York City locations. Our sources may change with time. We also use a New York state-licensed company to help locate suitable donors. All donors, whether anonymous or directed, must pass our very strict, comprehensive screening procedures that are mandated by the FDA, the NYS Department of Health and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Shared vs. Exclusive Anonymous Donors

At NYU you have the option of using a shared or exclusive donor. Shared means setting up two recipients to evenly share the eggs retrieved from a single donor egg retrieval. Due to the lower cost, most recipients chose shared, however we have no preference.

For sharing, we assign one recipient to be primary and one secondary, usually related to the time spent on our waiting list. The only difference surfaces when we do not have 12 eggs total, which we consider the minimum for sharing. If there are not enough, we need to cancel the secondary, which can happen about 5% of the time. In this case, the primary recipient must incur addition charges because the other recipient was sharing some of the costs, which she would no longer be required to do. We understand how difficult this can be for the secondary recipient, and we try to make another match as soon as possible.

Finding the Right Donor

If you choose to proceed with an anonymous donor, you – and your partner if applicable – will be asked to provide your photograph and a description of the type of woman you would like as a donor. Our staff will then use this information to match you to a suitable donor.

We then share our suggested match with you, although the final decision on proceeding with the choice is yours. To aid you in your decision, you will be able to see the donor’s application (name and address deleted), and a summary of her psychological evaluation and genetic testing report. We do not show you a photograph of the donor, though our nursing staff uses a photograph as part of the initial selection process.

Most recipients or recipient couples are happy with the donor we suggest. However, if you do not accept the woman we recommend, you can continue to wait for an alternate donor. You will not lose your place on the waiting list while waiting for an alternate donor.

Occasionally, recipients will place personal classified ads to recruit oocyte donors with specific characteristics. This is allowable but usually not as successful as patients would like. We will assist you with that process, if necessary.

Currently, the wait for an oocyte donor varies, and, depending on the requirements of the recipient, can be 10-12 months in duration. We will review this timeline with you during the treatment process.