What to ask when contacting a fertility clinic

We hope that our suggested questions below will provide donors and recipients with some ideas on what to ask when contacting clinics for information about their embryo donation program. Please keep in mind that some clinics accept telephone interviews, and others will want to set up an appointment to go over their embryo donation program and answer your questions.

Are you a donor looking for a clinic that will accept a donation of frozen embryos? Are you a recipient looking for a clinic that will perform a frozen embryo transfer (FET) with donor embryos you have obtained elsewhere?Are you a recipient looking for a clinic that will match you with donor embryos?

QUESTIONS FOR DONORS TO ASK

If you are a donor looking for a clinic that will accept a donation of frozen embryos: 

• Do you have an in-house embryo donation program, where you match up donors with recipients?
• Do you accept donations of embryos created at other clinics?

If so:

1.      What are the eligibility requirements for the embryos?
2.      What testing or screening is required for the donors?  Who pays for it?

• Are there any other eligibility requirements for donors?
• Is your program completely anonymous?
• How are recipients matched with donor embryos–matched by clinic, recipients selected by donors, or embryos selected by recipients?
• Will embryos be divided up among more than one family?
• What stipulations, if any, may donors make regarding potential recipients?
• How are recipients screened? Are there any particular requirements for eligibility?
• Can we get our embryos back if they are not matched up with recipients after a period of time?  If not, what will happen to them?
• What paperwork is required in order to make an embryo donation?
• What do I need to do to get started?

QUESTIONS FOR RECIPIENTS TO ASK

If you are a recipient looking for a clinic that will perform a frozen embryo transfer (FET) with donor embryos you have obtained elsewhere:

• Someone I know is donating embryos to me.  Can I have embryos shipped to your clinic for my transfer?
• Does your clinic require that a legal contract be executed between the donors and the recipients for directed donations?
• What is your typical thaw rate?  (% frozen embryos that survive thaw at your lab)
• What is your clinic’s success rate for FET?
• What testing or screening is required for donors in a directed donation?
• Are there any other eligibility requirements for directed donors?
• What testing or screening is required for recipients in a directed donation?
• Are there any other eligibility requirements for directed recipients?
• What are typical costs involved with DFET at your facility?
• What do you charge for the receiving and storage of embryos prior to my transfer?
• Does your clinic have other locations?  If so, which locations perform DFET?
• What paperwork is required in order to have my transfer performed at your clinic?
• How long does is take to process the paperwork?
• What do I need to do to get started?

If you are a recipient looking for a clinic that will match you with donor embryos:

• Do you have an in-house embryo donation program, where you match up donors and recipients?
• Is your program only for patients who have undergone IVF at your clinic, or may anyone apply to become a recipient?
• Are you willing to ship the embryos to another clinic for FET or will I need to travel to your location?
• Is the program completely anonymous?
• How are recipients matched with donor embryos–matched by clinic, recipients selected by donors, or embryos selected by recipients?
• Do you have a pool of available embryos?

If so:

1.     May I obtain information on the embryos that are available now?

• Are embryos presented to couples on a waiting list as they become available?

If so:

1.          How many couples are on your waiting list now?
2.          What is the typical wait?
3.          If a couple declines offered embryos, do they go to the bottom of list?

• What is your typical thaw rate?  (% frozen embryos that survive thaw at your lab)
• What is your clinic’s success rate for FET?
• What testing or screening is performed on potential donors?
• What other, if any, eligibility requirements do you have for donors?
• What, if any, quality criteria must embryos meet to be accepted into your program?
• What information is available to recipients regarding donors? (and vice versa, if applicable)
• How many embryos are in a typical batch?
• What information is available to recipients regarding the embryos?
• What screening or tests are performed on recipients?
• What are the costs of such screening or testing?
• What other eligibility requirements are there for recipients?
• What are typical costs involved with DFET at your facility?
• Does your clinic have other locations?  If so, which locations perform DFET?
• Do you charge a coordination or administrative fee for matching donors and recipients?
• What paperwork is required in order to receive a donation?
• How long does is take to process the paperwork?
• What do I need to do to get started?