I am an expert in the field of egg donation. My doctoral dissertation, entitled “ Psychological Characteristics of Egg Donors: MMPI-2 Profiles of 436 Anonymous Oocyte Donor Candidates” was awarded the Prize Paper for The Mental Health Professional Group of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine at the 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, San Antonio, TX, October, 2003.
I began screening egg donors in 2005 and have experience with both anonymous and known donors.
When screening donors, I meet with both anonymous and known donors for a structured clinical interview. I also administer a personality profile which assesses various domains of a person’s characterological make-up. I use either the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory) or the PAI (Personality Assessment Inventory). My goal is to assess psychological functioning, maturity, and the ability to provide fully informed consent. I also meet separately with the recipient couple to provide a psycho-educational consultation which includes discussion about the psychosocial issues inherent in egg donation. I will provide the couple with a packet of readings on the topic and am available to answer any questions they may have throughout this process.
When I meet with a known donor, I will often screen the donor, meet with the recipient couple and then meet with both parties together. Some aspects of this discussion include (but are not limted to) the future relationship between parties (donor, child, and recipient couple), disclosure, and possible disposition of embryos. It is very important that all parties meet to discuss these complex issues in an open and honest environment to minimize the risk of future psychological consequences.
I proved a report to the medical team and any other relevant parties.