The demographic characterization of women participating in oocyte donation: a review of 300 consecutively performed cycles.

OBJECTIVES

To define the demographic characteristics of women participating as oocyte donors and recipients in a gamete donation program. The study took place in the in vitro fertilization program of the University of Southern California (USC-IVF) and all women who underwent controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for the sole purpose of gamete donation (n = 110), and the recipients of the donated gametes (n = 192) were included.

METHODS

Demographic characteristics were tallied for each of the above mentioned groups and reported as means +/- S.D. or as percentages as appropriate. Comparisons between recipients were made according to age groups defined by 10-year age intervals.

RESULTS

Oocyte donors were most commonly married mothers in their late twenties who were fully employed. The majority (74%) proffered services anonymously. Recipients differed significantly by age group, with younger patients (< 30 years) being more likely to have been married only once, never to have been pregnant and unlikely to have had previous infertility care. This contrasted with women > 40 years old who were often remarried, likely to have undergone an elective termination of pregnancy, and usually a recipient of extensive infertility care prior to attempts at oocyte donation.

CONCLUSIONS

In cases where solicitation of services has not occurred, women donating oocytes may best be described as married, employed, middle class mothers whose primary motivation for participation appears to be altruistic. Significant demographic differences exist between recipients of donated oocytes, which appeared to be age related.