The decision of whether or not to donate eggs is a very personal one. If you are a prospective Egg Donor, you might wonder if it is possible to maintain a certain level of privacy during the donation process or even complete it as an anonymous donor.
Maybe you are not sure your parent will approve of your decision! Or, you think your friends will never understand your reasons and want to save yourself from awkward conversations. Perhaps the thought of the Intended Parents finding out your identity someday freaks you out.
Whatever your reasons may be, it is normal to have some questions. So, can you donate eggs while remaining anonymous? Are there any limitations? In the following piece, we will have a look at the issue of egg donation and privacy and provide tips that can help you stay anonymous.
Is egg donation always anonymous?
Well, egg donation is anonymous in almost all cases and at Lucina Egg Bank it is always anonymous.
Even with other egg donation agencies, it can be completely anonymous if that’s what you want. There are different types of egg donation, each having its own differences.
Known donor
This is also referred to as “open arrangement.”
A known donor arrangement usually occurs between Intended Parents and an Egg Donor who have previously met at one point in their lives.
In most cases, the donor is usually a friend or family member of the Intended Parents. Both parties may decide to share personal information, including names and addresses, with one another.
Semi-anonymous donor
Another name for this is a “semi-open arrangement.” In this type of egg donation, the donor and Intended Parents share a tiny piece of information with one another. It may be their first names or the city they reside in. If both parties agree, they may choose to contact each other later in the future, although it is not expected that they do so.
Anonymous donor
This is the commonest type of egg donor arrangement. As the name suggests, this type of egg donation is 100% anonymous. This means that the Intended Parents and the donor don’t share identifying information with each other and there’s absolutely no chance of meeting later in the future.
How do we make sure your egg donation is completely anonymous?
At Lucina, we take our Egg Donors’ privacy extremely seriously. We take certain steps to make sure of your privacy over the course of the egg donation process.
Any information that may reveal who you are, is deleted from your candidate profile before showing it to potential Intended Parents. We also keep your personal, medical, and genetic information private at all stages of the process.
How can you ensure to remain an anonymous Egg Donor?
While we will do everything necessary to protect your privacy and confidentiality, there are certain things you can also do to help maintain your anonymity.
1. Use unique pictures
When filling out your Egg Donor application, you will be required to provide pictures that will feature on your donor profile. This photo will be displayed to the Intended Parents. Sadly, it is now possible to know someone’s identity from pictures using Google’s or other powerful reverse image searches.
That’s why we advise that you submit pictures you haven’t posted on social media or websites yet, which can be used to find out who you are. When selecting a photo of you as a kid to add to your donor profile, make sure to use ones you have not previously used for a throwback.
2. Ensure your photos don’t contain any identifying information
When choosing pictures, it is best to go for ones where you are not putting on your work uniform, a university or club shirt, or other things that can provide a clue of who you are. Check the background of the pictures you intend to use and ponder if your address or location can be figured out.
3. Don’t talk about it on social media
Egg donation is an exciting, wonderful experience you may want to narrate to your friends, family, and people in general, and that is understandable. However, it would be best to keep details off Twitter, Facebook, and other social media, as doing so can jeopardize the privacy you are trying to protect.
Conclusion
As an Egg Donor, you will undergo several screening tests and an investigation of your medical, family, and personal history. By becoming a donor, you are agreeing to taking ovarian stimulation medications, going to the fertility clinic, and eventually undergoing the egg retrieval procedure. With this, you are making a significant difference in the Intended Parents’ lives by helping them add a new member to their family.
Although egg donation is extremely rewarding, it is not always an easy process. So, you deserve to be treated with care and absolute respect while giving much of yourself. Protecting your privacy and confidentiality is an important part of that care. At Lucina, we will always ensure your identity is well protected and safe with us.
We are committed to making your egg donation journey a rewarding, anonymous, and safe one. Our egg banking program helps make sure you don’t need to wait until you’re matched with hopeful parents before you can donate.
Apply today to know if you are eligible for our egg donation program.
