FAQs

What is your age cut-off for doing IVF with your own eggs?

We do not offer IVF for patients older than 45. Your reproductive endocrinologist will recommend an appropriate fertility treatment for you, depending on your medical history and diagnostic test results.

How long does it take to get started with IVF?

From the point of your initial consultation with GIVF, you may potentially start an IVF cycle within weeks. Your GIVF fertility physician will determine the appropriate time frame for your fertility treatment, but each patient decides when it is right for them to begin. Other factors may delay your treatment start date, such as testing, financials, and a patient’s menstrual cycle.

What are my choices if my tubes have been tied?

There are two primary choices–surgery to attempt to repair the tubes or in vitro fertilization (IVF). There are pros and cons to each choice and the best choice depends on your personal situation. Surgery offers the option of attempting pregnancy naturally indefinitely without repeated treatments but carries the rare risks of surgery and in some cases, is not successful depending on the type of tubal ligation or tubal damage done initially. IVF offers the chance for pregnancy without having to undergo an operation and continuing contraception or birth control against future pregnancies after the completion of your family.

How much does IVF cost?

The cost of IVF depends on the treatment and the options selected. Also, GIVF patients may be eligible for several financial packages, financing options, or assistance from their insurance plan.

Can I exercise while undergoing IVF treatment?

Yes, but you should refrain from high-impact exercise and opt for workouts such as walking, swimming, or light yoga during your IVF treatment. Leading up to the beginning of the IVF cycle you may exercise as you usually do, but as you get closer to the egg retrieval, we will ask that exercise be decreased for health and safety reasons.

What are my chances of getting pregnant using donor eggs?

Donor egg IVF opens a world of possibilities for women who have struggled to conceive. It allows many women who could not become pregnant with their own eggs to become pregnant very easily, whether they use fresh or frozen donor eggs. Because of our vast experience, the success rates for donor egg cycles at Genetics & IVF Institute are among the best in the country. Click here to see our most recent success rates.

Who are the egg donors?

We are committed to providing a large, diverse selection of fully screened FDA-compliant donors.

Our donors are compassionate and generous women between the ages of 19-33.You can view our donor profiles, where we provide a great deal of information such as physical characteristics (height, weight, hair color and type, body build, and blood type), ethnic background, educational record, occupation, special interests, audio interviews, childhood photos, and current photos.

The choice of an egg donor is always made by the patient. View our fresh donor egg donors or our frozen donor egg donors to begin finding your best match.

Will I have to be added to a waiting list to start donor egg IVF treatment?

We do not require that donor egg recipients join a waiting list. Donor egg IVF cycles can match one donor to one recipient (sole match) or one donor to two recipients (shared match). Regardless of whether a patient chooses a sole or shared match, she can begin treatment immediately and will not be required to wait for a donor.

We have an extensive pool of fully screened, immediately available egg donors, and we offer frozen donor eggs from our in-house egg bank, Fairfax EggBank.

What does the donor egg IVF procedure involve?

Donor egg recipients are asked to select one or more egg donors whom they find suitable. One of the selected egg donors will be offered to a recipient couple upon availability of the egg donor and the completion of all screening. The choice of an egg donor is always made by the donor egg recipient.

A GIVF donor egg coordinator will coordinate the cycles of the egg donor and recipient to accomplish a fresh embryo transfer. Synchronization of cycles includes using a series of medications to facilitate a hospitable uterine environment for transfer of embryos. Viable eggs produced in a single donor cycle are inseminated, and all embryos created belong to the recipient couple. If there are embryos in excess of the number for safe transfer, cryopreservation of additional embryos is available and strongly recommended. Cryopreserved embryos can be used for subsequent attempts at pregnancy, whether or not the fresh transfer is successful, and still produce high rates of success.

Does GIVF offer frozen donor eggs?

Yes, GIVF offers frozen donor eggs from our very own egg bank, Fairfax EggBank.  Frozen donor eggs may be an attractive alternative to patients because they are immediately available and more affordable. Unlike a fresh donor egg cycle where donor and recipient’s cycles must be synchronized, a frozen donor egg cycle allows for more simplified treatment protocols.

How affordable is donor egg IVF?

Donor egg IVF cycles are priced as single cycles or as part of The Delivery Promise™ refund program. Multicycle and shared cycle programs are also available for donor egg recipients. Learn more about our financial packages for donor egg IVF.

After your consultation, our financial counselor will explain all the financial options available to you and help you decide which program best fits your needs. To schedule a consultation, contact us online or call (800) 552-4363.

Does GIVF have a cryobank?

Yes. Patients who require donor sperm in conjunction with donor eggs will benefit from the vast selection of donors available through Fairfax Cryobank. Fairfax Cryobank offers a diverse selection of quality, fully screened donors and is conveniently located within our family of companies.

Can I be a donor egg recipient at GIVF if I live out of town or internationally?

GIVF has vast experience working with out-of-town and international patients. Your physician and donor egg coordinator are very skilled at coordinating your care regardless of where you live. Rest assured, they will make the process as easy as possible for you. Patients come to GIVF from around the world for Donor Egg IVF, and we are adept at minimizing inconveniences and time away from home for patients from other U.S. locations and abroad. For many patients, the time from an initial contact with GIVF to initiation of their Donor Egg IVF cycle can be a little as one month or even less.

Does taking cells harm the embryo?

Removing one or more cells from an early embryo does not prevent the embryo from growing into a complete pregnancy. All of the cells in the early embryo are capable of complete development.

Why should I use IVF if I have not been diagnosed with infertility?

In order to have more than one embryo to test, an IVF cycle is required. The IVF cycle includes follicle-stimulating medications the help more than one egg mature so that we have enough embryos for the PGT test and for implantation.

Would you recommend PGT if I have had recurrent miscarriages?

There are many possible causes for miscarriage. About 50% of first trimester miscarriages are due to a chromosome abnormality. This may be related to a patient’s age or a rearrangement in a parent’s chromosomes that predisposes conceptions with chromosome abnormalities. PGT can be performed for either of these possibilities. For patients over 35, the greatest risk may be for aneuploidy, a pregnancy with the wrong number of chromosomes, such as Down syndrome. PGT for aneuploidy screening offers these women a greater chance of a successful and healthy pregnancy. If a parent has a balanced structural chromosome rearrangement, such as a translocation, a different type of PGT is available.

Is it possible to test embryos for more than one condition?

Yes. PGT-A is performed in addition to PGT-SR or PGT-M, and for couples at risk for more than one disease, PGT-M for multiple diseases can be performed.  In addition to the known genetic disease(s), biopsied embryos are screened for chromosomal aneuploidy. Only embryos unaffected (or a silent carrier) for the genetic disease and with a normal chromosome result would be considered available for transfer. Whether to use or not use embryos that are carriers of an autosomal recessive or X-linked disease will be discussed with each patient. The combination of PGT-M for genetic disease and PGT-A for aneuploidy screening will help identify the best embryo(s) to use with the greatest chance for a healthy outcome.

What if I receive a bill and I have questions?

Contact us at (800) 552-4363 or (703) 698-7355, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and a patient service representative will be happy to assist you. If you call after hours, please leave a voicemail and your call will be returned the next business day.

Can I pay my bill online?

Yes you can. Visit our bill payment page and click on the Pay My Bill button submit your payment. You can also choose one of the following payment methods:

• Send a message to financialcounselor@givf.com and a financial counselor will contact you.
• Call us with your credit card/debit payment (we cannot accept check-by-phone) at (703) 289-1977.
• Mail your check to our payment address: Genetics & IVF Institute P.O. Box 200907 Pittsburgh, PA 15251-0907

Can I pay for my embryo/egg /semen storage for the entire year?

Yes, you can arrange to pay for your storage for an entire year through the business office.

If I have infertility benefits/coverage under my insurance plan, does that include PGT for Sex Selection?

Currently, sex selection is not billable to insurance companies. We can provide you with statements for your flexible spending account and/or tax expense, but gender selection is a self-pay option.