A need for egg donation may arise for a number of reasons. A couple may use an egg donor when the female partner cannot have genetic children because she may not have eggs that can start a viable pregnancy, or she may have a genetic disorder that can be avoided by using eggs from another person, or there may be other reasons. Sometimes a lesbian couple will choose to have eggs retrieved from one partner and fertilized with donor sperm, and have the resulting embryo transferred to the other partner for the birth process. In that instance, their family is made up of one genetic mother and one gestational mother. Egg donation is also necessary for single men and gay male couples using surrogacy to have a child or children.
The parent who is using donor eggs has the same two choices as those using donor sperm. Sometimes an intended parent will know someone who is willing to donate eggs. However, the egg donation process is very invasive (much more so than its counterpart, sperm donation) and it is hard to find personal friends who can or will made that commitment. Often, donations are obtained by clinics that financially compensate the donors and the donors are generally anonymous.
When an individual or couple decides to use a known egg donor in their family formation process or when a lesbian couple decides they both want to be mothers, Ms. Moore drafts legal contracts that clarify the parties' agreements.
