Using An Egg Donor In The Event of Premature Ovarian Failure

When a woman’s ovaries fail to function normally before she reaches the age of forty she is experiencing premature ovarian failure. This condition will require a doctor’s diagnosis as it is often associated with other underlying medical conditions that may need to take precedence in regard to treatment. Premature ovarian failure (POF) affects one out of every one hundred women younger than forty. It is also referred to as “premature menopause”, but the two conditions are not the same – premature menopause means that a woman no longer has her period and cannot become pregnant, whereas POF may lead to irregular periods with a chance of natural conception, but difficulties with fertility are common.

In order to confirm a POF diagnosis, your doctor will seek a blood test in order to see if your ovaries are producing estrogen and if your pituitary gland is producing FSH and LH hormones that work to stimulate ovarian follicles. If these two functions of the ovaries are not occurring, then the patient will be diagnosed with premature ovarian failure. Doctors may also use a trans-vaginal ultrasound to examine the ovaries if needed.

Treatment of premature ovarian failure includes estrogen therapy, other non-hormonal medications, and a healthy lifestyle. However, this does that mean that women with POF will have their fertility issues fixed if they follow their doctor’s treatment plan. 10% of women with premature ovarian failure are able to conceive naturally without the aid of third party reproduction or fertility treatments. The other 90% require more attention and care in order to have children. For the higher percentage of women with POF who require fertility care most opt for using an egg donor. At Washington Fertility Center, our Egg Donor Program consists of our partnership with Egg Donor America. Egg Donor America leads egg donation services and works closely with the fertility specialists of Washington Fertility Center to provide care that is customized to each and every individual that requires our assistance.

The egg donors of Egg Donor America are recruited through the use of high industry standards and testing procedures. These young women come from a range of ethnic backgrounds and they are highly qualified and committed to the process of egg donation.

Washington Fertility Center is prepared to work with the egg donor program of our patient’s choosing. Women who suffer from premature ovarian failure do not have to sacrifice their dreams of building a family because of this, or any other conditions that cause infertility. With the use of an egg donor and IVF, women with POF are able to become pregnant and give birth.