Hanafin says she hasn't had an egg donor try to claim a child made with her egg, but the center takes precautions to try to make sure that never happens. The center does have a catalog, a computer database of egg donors. A couple can punch in desired hair color, eye color and ethnicity, and profiles of women who meet those criteria pop up. Karen Synesiou, who works with donors for the center, says some of the information is meant to give prospective parents a sense of the donor's intelligence. There's debate over whether intelligence is inherited, but all the same, many couples seek a donor who is smart.
Some couples seek a donor who is beautiful, or tall.
But many simply want a donor who looks something like the intended mother, in hopes that the child will resemble both parents. To help ensure that the couple winds up with a child, the Beverly Hills center puts potential donors through a psychological screening. That's partly to try to make sure a donor won't back out after a couple has invested money in drugs and medical visits for her. But it's partly to screen out women who would want the children made with their genes. The center seeks donors who believe they're giving up eggs they wouldn't be using anyway, not giving up children - donors such as Quincy.