Choosing a surrogate is not simply a matter of reviewing profiles and selecting someone who seems kind, healthy and enthusiastic. A responsible surrogate screening process examines medical history, prior pregnancies and deliveries, psychological readiness, background information, household support, insurance considerations and compatibility with the intended parents.
For families learning how to find a surrogate, the most important point to understand is that surrogate screening is not one test or one approval.
Before Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute, also known as EDSI, presents a potential surrogate, the agency conducts a meaningful preliminary review of her history, records, readiness and match factors. After a potential match is mutually accepted, independent professionals complete additional evaluations.
The intended parents’ fertility clinic makes the final medical-clearance decision. A qualified mental-health professional conducts the psychological evaluation. Separate reproductive attorneys handle the legal process. An insurance professional reviews coverage, and journey funds are held through an independent third-party bonded escrow provider.
No agency can guarantee that a surrogate will receive medical clearance, become pregnant or deliver a baby. Strong screening is designed to reduce avoidable risk, uncover important information early and help intended parents make better-informed decisions.
Quick Answer: How Are Surrogates Screened?
A thorough surrogate screening process usually includes:
- A detailed application and personal interview
- Verification of identity, age, location and basic eligibility
- Collection of pregnancy, delivery and postpartum medical records
- Review of prior pregnancy complications and current medical history
- Discussion of medications, lifestyle, employment and household support
- Background screening
- Psychological evaluation by a qualified mental-health professional
- Review of health-insurance coverage
- Fertility-clinic medical screening and final clearance
- Compatibility-based matching with the intended parents
- Separate legal representation for the surrogate and intended parents
- Establishment of independent escrow before contractual payments begin
These steps fit within the broader surrogacy process for intended parents, which continues through legal agreements, embryo transfer, pregnancy, delivery and parentage documentation.
Professional guidance from the American Society for Reproductive Medicine recommends medical evaluation, infectious-disease testing, psychosocial evaluation, preconception testing, uterine-cavity evaluation and legal counseling as distinct parts of the gestational-carrier process.
EDSI Screening Standard
Selective before matching. Structured through clinic clearance.
EDSI conducts a detailed preliminary review before presenting a surrogate candidate to intended parents. Pregnancy and delivery records, current health information, medications, practical readiness, support, insurance considerations and matching factors are reviewed before the fertility clinic makes its independent medical decision.
Approximately 1% of surrogate applicants are accepted into the EDSI program after preliminary review.
Approximately 99% of EDSI surrogate candidates who proceed to fertility clinic medical screening receive medical clearance.
Final medical clearance is independently determined by the intended parents’ fertility clinic. EDSI preliminary review does not replace the clinic’s medical evaluation.
For more than 25 years, EDSI has coordinated third party reproduction journeys through a structured process that separates agency coordination, fertility clinic medical decisions, independent legal representation, insurance review and an independent third party bonded escrow provider.
Understand What Has Been Reviewed Before You Match
Speak privately with EDSI about your fertility clinic, embryo status and surrogate screening requirements.
Table of contents
- Quick Answer: How Are Surrogates Screened?
- EDSI Screening Standard
- What Does “Screened Surrogate” Actually Mean?
- Why Does Surrogate Screening Matter to Intended Parents?
- What Does EDSI Review Before Presenting a Surrogate?
- What Happens During the Surrogate Psychological Evaluation?
- What Does the Fertility Clinic Evaluate?
- How Long Does Surrogate Screening Take?
- What Causes Delays in Surrogate Screening?
- Can a Surrogate Be Declined After She Is Matched?
- What Happens If a Surrogate Does Not Pass Screening?
- Are Repeat or Experienced Surrogates Screened Again?
- Does a Known Surrogate Need the Same Screening?
- Is Surrogate Screening Different in California?
- Are Intended Parents Screened Too?
- How Does Screening Affect Matching?
- Can Intended Parents See a Surrogate’s Full Medical Records?
- What Should Intended Parents Ask About Surrogate Screening?
- What Are Red Flags in a Surrogate Screening Process?
- How EDSI Structures Surrogate Screening and Clearance
- Frequently Asked Questions About Surrogate Screening
- Begin With a Clear Screening Process
What Does “Screened Surrogate” Actually Mean?
The phrase screened surrogate can mean different things at different agencies.
One agency may use the term after reviewing only an application and conducting a telephone interview. Another may wait until pregnancy records, delivery records, background screening and psychological evaluation have been completed.
Even after extensive agency screening, the intended parents’ fertility clinic must conduct its own review and make the final medical decision.
Intended parents should therefore ask exactly what has been completed rather than relying on labels such as:
- Pre-screened
- Agency approved
- Qualified
- Clinic ready
- Fully screened
- Medically approved
A trustworthy agency should explain its terminology before intended parents become emotionally or financially committed to a proposed match. This is one of the main standards families should evaluate when deciding how to choose a surrogacy agency.
| Screening stage | Who is responsible? | What the result means |
|---|---|---|
| Agency preliminary review | Surrogacy agency | The candidate appears to meet the agency’s preliminary requirements |
| Medical-record review | Agency and later the fertility clinic | Pregnancy and delivery history is reviewed for potentially relevant concerns |
| Background screening | Agency or outside provider | Identity and relevant background information are reviewed |
| Psychological evaluation | Qualified mental-health professional | Emotional readiness, expectations and support are professionally evaluated |
| Insurance review | Qualified insurance professional | Coverage, exclusions and possible additional insurance needs are assessed |
| Final medical clearance | Intended parents’ fertility clinic | The clinic decides whether it will approve the candidate for treatment |
| Legal clearance | Separate reproductive attorneys | The agreement is completed and legal clearance is sent to the clinic |
| Ready for medications or transfer | Clinic, attorneys and coordinating team | Required medical, legal, insurance and funding steps have been completed |
Agency pre-screening is not the same as fertility-clinic clearance.
Not sure what should be completed before you review a surrogate profile?
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute can explain the screening, matching and clinic-clearance stages based on your fertility clinic and family-building plans.
Schedule a Private ConsultationA responsible agency should state that distinction clearly.
Why Does Surrogate Screening Matter to Intended Parents?
Screening protects the surrogate, intended parents and future pregnancy by identifying information that may affect safety, timing, compatibility or the ability to proceed.
Meaningful screening can reduce the chance that intended parents:
- Form an emotional attachment before pregnancy records have been reviewed
- Pay for avoidable clinic screening or travel expenses
- Lose time because important records were never collected
- Discover major differences in expectations after matching
- Reach the legal stage without understanding insurance concerns
- Learn too late that the parties disagree about pregnancy decisions
- Enter a match without a clear communication or support plan
- Need to restart the process because basic eligibility was not verified
Screening cannot remove every uncertainty. Pregnancy, fertility treatment and human relationships involve variables that cannot always be predicted.
The purpose is to identify foreseeable issues before intended parents become deeply committed. EDSI explains this separation of screening, medical clearance, legal coordination, insurance review and escrow protection in The Architecture of Protection in a Surrogacy Journey.
What Does EDSI Review Before Presenting a Surrogate?
EDSI’s preliminary review is intended to create a more complete picture of a candidate before her profile is presented to intended parents.
1. Application and Initial Interview
The process begins with a detailed application and a direct conversation with the candidate.
The application and interview typically address:
- Age and location
- Pregnancy and delivery history
- Current health
- Current and recent medications
- Smoking, vaping and substance use
- Employment
- Health insurance
- Household composition
- Relationship status
- Childcare and transportation
- Motivation for becoming a surrogate
- Availability for appointments and travel
- Previous surrogacy experience
- Communication preferences
- Views about important pregnancy decisions
An application alone is not enough.
The interview helps clarify answers, identify missing information and determine whether the candidate understands the medical procedures, time commitment and responsibilities involved.
2. Pregnancy and Delivery Record Collection
A candidate’s description of her prior pregnancies is a starting point. Relevant medical records are needed to verify and better understand that history.
Depending on the circumstances, records may include:
- Prenatal records
- Labor and delivery reports
- Hospital discharge summaries
- Cesarean operative reports
- Postpartum records
- Records involving pregnancy complications
- Infant gestational age and birth information
- Current Pap test results
- OB clearance documentation
- Specialist records when relevant
- Records relating to postpartum treatment
Records can reveal information that is not apparent from a short application.
A candidate may remember that a pregnancy “went well,” while the delivery report may contain information that the fertility clinic needs to evaluate. Conversely, a medical term in a record may sound concerning but require context from the physician who managed the pregnancy.
EDSI organizes available pregnancy and delivery information before the intended parents’ clinic conducts its own review. The clinic remains responsible for determining medical eligibility. EDSI does not diagnose conditions or replace the fertility specialist’s judgment.
3. Prior Pregnancy and Delivery History
A fertility clinic will want to understand how the candidate’s body responded to her previous pregnancies.
Relevant history can include:
- Whether pregnancies reached full term
- Vaginal deliveries
- Cesarean deliveries
- Preeclampsia
- Pregnancy-related hypertension
- Gestational diabetes
- Preterm labor
- Premature delivery
- Placental complications
- Significant bleeding
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Blood transfusion
- Hospitalization
- Cervical complications
- Fetal-growth concerns
- Postpartum depression or anxiety
- Recovery after delivery
- The amount of time since the most recent pregnancy
A prior complication does not always mean that a candidate cannot become a surrogate.
The type of complication, severity, recurrence risk, treatment and outcome of later pregnancies all matter. A fertility clinic may request:
- An explanation from the prior OB
- Updated testing
- Current OB clearance
- Maternal-fetal medicine review
- Cardiology or another specialist’s opinion
- Additional records from the delivery hospital
ASRM guidance states that a gestational carrier should ideally have had at least one term, uncomplicated pregnancy. It also recommends considering prior delivery and cesarean history, along with family stability and adequate support. Individual fertility clinics may apply more restrictive requirements.
4. Current Health and Medications
Past healthy pregnancies do not establish current eligibility.
EDSI asks about:
- Current diagnoses
- Prescription medications
- Recent surgeries
- Mental-health history
- Current counseling or psychiatric care
- Migraine or pain treatments
- Blood-pressure concerns
- Diabetes or metabolic conditions
- Seizure history
- Cardiovascular history
- Recent pregnancy
- Breastfeeding
- Current weight and BMI
- Recent changes in health
Medication use does not always result in disqualification. The fertility clinic must determine whether a medication, diagnosis or treatment plan is compatible with fertility medications and pregnancy.
Candidates should never stop a prescribed medication merely to qualify without consulting the prescribing physician.
Medical decisions belong to the candidate and her qualified healthcare providers.
5. Lifestyle and Practical Readiness
Medical history is only one part of readiness.
A surrogate journey requires reliable transportation, frequent communication, medical appointments, medication adherence and a plan for disruptions that could affect work or family responsibilities.
EDSI discusses:
- Smoking, vaping and substance use
- Work schedule and flexibility
- Transportation
- Childcare
- Planned travel
- Household stability
- Partner and family support
- Ability to attend appointments
- Comfort with injections and fertility medications
- Ability to follow clinic instructions
- Plans for pregnancy-related work restrictions
- Communication during urgent situations
This review is not intended to judge a candidate’s lifestyle. It is intended to determine whether the practical structure needed for a demanding journey is in place.
6. Support System
A surrogate does not complete the journey alone.
Her spouse, partner, relatives and other household members may be affected by appointments, travel, medication schedules, pregnancy restrictions and delivery.
The screening process should explore:
- Whether the candidate’s partner supports the decision
- Who will care for her children during appointments or delivery
- Who can help if she is placed on activity restriction
- Whether household members understand the commitment
- Whether she has reliable emotional support
- Whether family responsibilities conflict with the anticipated journey
A mental-health professional may also meet with the candidate’s partner or primary support person as part of the psychological evaluation.
7. Preliminary Insurance Information
Having health insurance does not automatically mean that a surrogacy pregnancy will be covered.
Preliminary review may identify:
- The type of health plan
- Whether coverage is employer based
- The expected policy year
- Possible surrogacy exclusions
- Deductibles
- Out-of-pocket limits
- Whether another policy may be required
- Whether employment or insurance is likely to change
A qualified insurance professional should review the policy before the journey proceeds to embryo-transfer medications.
Intended parents can read more about policy exclusions, premiums, deductibles and pregnancy-related coverage in EDSI’s guide to medical insurance and surrogacy.
EDSI coordinates insurance review but does not provide insurance advice or guarantee that a particular claim will be covered.
What Happens During the Surrogate Psychological Evaluation?
Psychological screening is different from an agency interview.
It should be conducted by a qualified mental-health professional with experience in third-party reproduction.
The professional evaluates whether the candidate understands the emotional, relational and practical implications of carrying a pregnancy for intended parents.
Topics may include:
- Motivation for becoming a surrogate
- Mental-health history
- Prior pregnancy and postpartum experiences
- Stress management
- Family relationships
- Partner and household support
- Communication style
- Conflict resolution
- Expectations about the intended parents
- Contact during and after pregnancy
- Pregnancy termination and selective reduction
- Expectations surrounding delivery
- Boundaries and privacy
- Possible responses to miscarriage or failed transfer
- Possible responses to pregnancy complications
- Postpartum planning
This is not a test of whether someone is a good person.
It is an independent professional assessment of readiness for a medically, emotionally and legally complex arrangement.
ASRM recommends psychosocial evaluation and implication counseling for potential gestational carriers. Its guidance also addresses evaluation of the carrier’s partner or primary support person and counseling for intended parents.
What Does the Fertility Clinic Evaluate?
The intended parents’ fertility clinic makes the final medical-clearance decision.
Clinic requirements differ. A candidate who meets one clinic’s requirements may not meet another clinic’s protocol.
The fertility clinic may review or require:
- Complete pregnancy and delivery records
- Current medical history
- Physical examination
- Bloodwork
- Infectious-disease testing
- Blood type and Rh factor
- Immunity testing
- Cervical cancer screening
- Urine drug screening
- Uterine-cavity evaluation
- Saline sonogram or other imaging
- Evaluation of the anticipated medication protocol
- OB clearance
- Specialist clearance
- Testing of a spouse or partner when required
- Review of prior cesarean deliveries
- Review of prior pregnancy complications
ASRM recommends medical evaluation, infectious-disease testing, preconception testing and uterine-cavity evaluation as parts of gestational-carrier screening.
Why Can Clinic Requirements Differ?
Fertility clinics create their own protocols based on physician judgment, institutional policies, risk tolerance and the facts of each case.
Differences may involve:
- Maximum age
- BMI
- Number of prior deliveries
- Number of cesarean deliveries
- Time since the last pregnancy
- Previous pregnancy complications
- Mental-health history
- Medication history
- Vaccination requirements
- Specialist-clearance requirements
- Recent breastfeeding
- Uterine findings
- Infectious-disease results
This is why no agency should promise that agency approval guarantees clinic clearance.
How Long Does Surrogate Screening Take?
There is no single screening timeline.
The preliminary and professional screening process can take several weeks or longer. Medical-record retrieval is frequently the most unpredictable part because records may come from multiple hospitals, OB offices or older medical systems.
Screening is one stage within the full surrogacy timeline from consultation to birth.
| Stage | Common planning range |
|---|---|
| Application and initial interview | Several days to two weeks |
| Obtaining pregnancy and delivery records | Two to eight weeks or longer |
| Preliminary agency review after the file is complete | Approximately one to two weeks |
| Psychological and background screening | Approximately one to three weeks |
| Insurance review | Approximately one to three weeks |
| Fertility-clinic record review and screening | Approximately two to four weeks or longer |
| Additional specialist review | Depends on appointment and testing availability |
These are planning ranges, not guarantees.
Missing records, inconclusive laboratory results, clinic scheduling or the need for specialist clearance can extend the timeline.
What Causes Delays in Surrogate Screening?
Common causes include:
- Missing hospital records
- Missing delivery records
- Records filed under a former name
- A hospital that has closed
- A healthcare system that changed record platforms
- Incomplete medical releases
- A missing cesarean operative report
- An expired Pap test
- The need for updated OB clearance
- Recent breastfeeding
- A newly prescribed medication
- A clinic requesting specialist clearance
- Abnormal or inconclusive laboratory results
- Insurance-policy changes
- Scheduling an in-person clinic appointment
- Waiting for a spouse or partner to complete testing
- Questions requiring clarification from a former OB
The safest way to shorten screening is not to skip steps. It is to obtain a complete, well-organized file early.
Can a Surrogate Be Declined After She Is Matched?
Yes.
Agency preliminary review reduces the risk of a failed medical screening, but it cannot eliminate it.
A candidate may not receive clearance because:
- The clinic interprets a prior complication differently
- A missing record reveals new information
- A uterine evaluation identifies a concern
- Laboratory testing requires treatment or follow-up
- A health condition has changed
- A medication conflicts with the clinic’s protocol
- An OB or maternal-fetal medicine specialist advises against another pregnancy
- Psychological screening identifies a readiness concern
- The candidate and intended parents have incompatible expectations
- The clinic applies a requirement that was not part of the agency’s preliminary criteria
A clinic declining a candidate does not necessarily mean that she is unhealthy or did anything wrong.
It means that the clinic is not willing to approve her under its protocol based on the information available.
What Happens If a Surrogate Does Not Pass Screening?
The next step depends on why she could not proceed.
Possible outcomes include:
- Obtaining missing records
- Repeating an inconclusive test
- Treating a temporary medical issue
- Waiting after delivery or breastfeeding
- Obtaining updated OB clearance
- Receiving maternal-fetal medicine review
- Receiving another specialist’s opinion
- Pausing the proposed match
- Ending the proposed match
- Presenting another candidate
An agency should not pressure a candidate to challenge a safety-based decision merely to preserve the match.
Before signing with an agency, intended parents should ask what happens if a candidate withdraws, does not receive medical clearance or cannot continue. EDSI’s article on questions to ask a surrogacy agency can help families compare screening, matching, communication and rematching procedures before making a commitment.
Are Repeat or Experienced Surrogates Screened Again?
Yes.
Previous success as a surrogate is valuable, but it does not replace updated screening.
Since the previous journey, a candidate may have experienced:
- Another pregnancy or delivery
- A cesarean delivery
- A new diagnosis
- A medication change
- A change in insurance
- A move to another state
- A new partner or household member
- A different work situation
- A different childcare situation
- A postpartum mental-health concern
Updated records, psychological evaluation, insurance review and fertility-clinic clearance are needed for each new arrangement.
Does a Known Surrogate Need the Same Screening?
Yes.
A friend, sister, cousin or other known surrogate should complete the same medical, psychological, insurance and legal safeguards as an agency-recruited candidate.
Personal trust cannot establish whether:
- Pregnancy is medically advisable
- The uterus is suitable for transfer
- The parties agree about pregnancy decisions
- Insurance will cover the pregnancy
- The agreement complies with applicable law
- The relationship can withstand difficult outcomes
- The surrogate is participating without pressure
Known-surrogate arrangements may require particularly careful counseling because an existing family relationship or friendship could be affected by conflict, failed transfer, miscarriage or different expectations.
Is Surrogate Screening Different in California?
The medical principles are similar, but legal requirements depend on the states connected to the surrogate, intended parents, agreement and anticipated delivery.
In California:
- The surrogate and intended parents must be represented by separate independent attorneys before executing the gestational-carrier agreement.
- The agreement must be fully executed before injectable medication begins in preparation for transfer or before the embryo-transfer procedure.
- The agreement must address how medical expenses for the surrogate and newborn will be covered.
- An action to establish parentage may be filed before the child’s birth.
These requirements appear in California Family Code section 7962.
EDSI is based in Beverly Hills, California, but works with surrogate candidates across the United States. A surrogate does not necessarily need to live in California.
The candidate’s residence and anticipated delivery location must be reviewed by the independent attorneys handling the individual case.
Are Intended Parents Screened Too?
A responsible process should also evaluate whether the intended parents are prepared to enter a surrogacy arrangement.
This is not identical to surrogate medical screening. Intended-parent preparation may include:
- Confirming that the fertility clinic is prepared to proceed
- Understanding whether embryos exist or still need to be created
- Reviewing legal jurisdiction
- Confirming financial readiness
- Explaining expected expenses and escrow funding
- Discussing communication expectations
- Discussing pregnancy termination and selective reduction
- Planning for travel and delivery
- Preparing for unsuccessful transfers or rematching
- Understanding newborn insurance
- Identifying international-documentation needs
- Participating in psychoeducational counseling when recommended
Families can use EDSI’s Intended Parent Surrogacy Readiness Checklist to evaluate agency structure, screening, legal coordination, insurance, escrow, communication and financial preparation before beginning.
Screening should protect both sides. The surrogate should also receive enough information to decide whether the intended parents are the right match for her.
How Does Screening Affect Matching?
Screening and matching are connected, but they are not the same.
Screening asks: Does this candidate appear able and prepared to proceed to professional evaluation?
Matching asks: Should this surrogate and these intended parents proceed together?
A candidate may satisfy medical requirements but still not be the right match for a particular family.
EDSI evaluates compatibility factors such as:
- Communication frequency
- Communication style
- Desired relationship during pregnancy
- Expectations after delivery
- Surrogate and intended-parent location
- Travel requirements
- Fertility-clinic criteria
- Embryo plans
- Number of embryos anticipated for transfer
- Pregnancy termination and selective-reduction views
- Vaccination expectations
- Delivery-room preferences
- Breast-milk or pumping preferences
- Social-media and privacy expectations
- Involvement of spouses, partners and children
- Expectations if complications arise
Both the intended parents and surrogate must independently approve a proposed match.
Before agreeing to a match, intended parents can also review what to look for in a surrogate profile, including medical history, compatibility and questions that may need clarification.
A candidate should never be pressured to accept intended parents, and intended parents should not be pressured to proceed merely because a profile is available.
Can Intended Parents See a Surrogate’s Full Medical Records?
Intended parents need enough relevant information to make an informed decision, but they should not expect unrestricted access to every unrelated medical record in a candidate’s life.
Medical-information sharing depends on authorizations, privacy requirements and the role of each professional.
Generally:
- The agency collects and organizes relevant records with authorization
- The fertility clinic reviews the medical information needed for its decision
- Intended parents may receive a summary of material history
- Relevant prior complications should be disclosed
- Unrelated private information should not be distributed unnecessarily
- Attorneys and mental-health professionals protect information according to professional requirements
Intended parents should ask how the agency balances meaningful disclosure with the candidate’s legitimate privacy.
What Should Intended Parents Ask About Surrogate Screening?
Before choosing an agency, intended parents should ask:
- What screening is completed before a profile is presented?
- Are pregnancy and delivery records obtained?
- Does the agency rely primarily on self-reporting?
- Who reviews the records before the fertility clinic?
- Is current OB clearance requested?
- When is psychological screening completed?
- Who conducts the psychological evaluation?
- Is the candidate’s partner or support person included?
- What background screening is completed?
- When is insurance reviewed?
- Who makes the final medical-clearance decision?
- What happens if the clinic requests specialist clearance?
- Can a candidate be matched before all records are received?
- What happens if she does not receive clinic clearance?
- Is there a written rematch policy?
- How are intended parents prepared?
- How are medical records and personal information protected?
- Does each party have a separate reproductive attorney?
- Who holds the journey funds?
- Does the agency promise clearance, pregnancy or live birth?
Specific answers are more useful than general claims that screening is “rigorous” or “comprehensive.”
Intended parents comparing agency screening standards can also review EDSI’s guide to top surrogacy agencies in the United States to see how screening, matching, legal coordination, escrow, communication, and other program safeguards can be evaluated across agencies.
What Are Red Flags in a Surrogate Screening Process?
Intended parents should be cautious when:
- A profile is presented before pregnancy records are obtained
- “Fully screened” is used without explaining what is complete
- The agency implies that agency approval equals clinic clearance
- Medical eligibility is based only on an application
- No qualified mental-health professional is involved
- The surrogate’s partner or support system is ignored
- Insurance is not reviewed before transfer
- The same attorney represents both parties
- Journey funds are held directly by the agency
- There is no written rematch policy
- The agency avoids discussing prior complications
- A candidate is encouraged to conceal medication or medical history
- Speed is emphasized more than record completeness
- Intended parents are promised guaranteed success
No agency can remove every uncertainty.
A trustworthy agency should explain what it does, what it does not do and which independent professional makes each decision.
How EDSI Structures Surrogate Screening and Clearance
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute is a Beverly Hills-based surrogacy and egg donation agency serving intended parents across the United States and internationally.
EDSI’s role is structured coordination, not medical or legal decision-making.
Stage 1: Preliminary Candidate Review
EDSI collects and reviews available pregnancy and delivery records, health information, lifestyle information, support, insurance considerations, expectations and practical readiness.
Stage 2: Compatibility-Based Matching
EDSI evaluates the intended parents’ fertility-clinic requirements and the preferences of both parties.
Communication, location, embryo plans, pregnancy-decision expectations and desired involvement are discussed before a match is confirmed.
Stage 3: Independent Evaluations
Background screening, psychological evaluation and insurance review are completed through the appropriate independent professionals based on the requirements of the case.
Stage 4: Fertility-Clinic Clearance
EDSI organizes records and communication with the intended parents’ fertility clinic.
The fertility clinic conducts its evaluation and makes the final medical-clearance decision.
Stage 5: Attorney-Guided Legal Process and Independent Escrow
The intended parents and surrogate are represented by separate reproductive attorneys.
Journey funds are held and disbursed by an independent third-party bonded escrow provider rather than by EDSI.
Stage 6: Ongoing Coordination
After clearance and legal completion, EDSI coordinates communication, milestones, appointments, expense documentation, pregnancy support and delivery preparation.
This separation of roles helps intended parents understand who is responsible for each decision.
EDSI’s screening and matching framework is led by Parham Zar, Founder and Managing Director of Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute. Medical, psychological, insurance and legal decisions remain with the qualified independent professionals responsible for those areas.
Discuss your screening and matching plan with EDSI
Review your fertility clinic’s requirements, embryo status, timing, insurance considerations and surrogate preferences before beginning the matching process.
Schedule a Private ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions About Surrogate Screening
Before matching, an agency should review the application, identity, pregnancy and delivery records, health information, medications, lifestyle, support system, insurance information and compatibility factors.
Independent psychological, medical, insurance and legal evaluations occur at different points in the process. The intended parents’ fertility clinic retains final medical authority.
Clinic screening may include medical-record review, physical examination, infectious-disease testing, bloodwork, cervical screening, immunity testing and uterine-cavity evaluation.
Requirements vary by clinic and by the candidate’s individual medical history.
The process generally takes several weeks or longer.
Obtaining complete pregnancy and delivery records is often the largest variable. Clinic review, the medical appointment and final testing can add several additional weeks.
Agency screening determines whether a candidate appears to meet preliminary program requirements.
Clinic clearance is a medical decision made by the intended parents’ fertility specialist after reviewing records, examination findings and test results.
Yes.
Agency pre-screening cannot identify every issue that may appear during laboratory testing, uterine evaluation, specialist review or the clinic’s final medical assessment.
The clinic may request more records, repeat testing, treatment, specialist clearance or a period of waiting.
When a candidate cannot receive clearance, the proposed match generally ends and the intended parents may need to consider another candidate.
Yes.
Updated records, psychological evaluation, insurance review and clinic clearance are needed because health, household circumstances and pregnancy history may have changed.
Yes.
A known surrogate needs the same medical, psychological, insurance and legal safeguards as an agency-recruited surrogate.
Intended parents should be evaluated for clinic readiness, financial preparation, legal considerations, communication expectations and understanding of the process.
Psychoeducational counseling may also be recommended.
No.
Screening can identify known concerns and reduce avoidable risk, but no agency, clinic or physician can guarantee pregnancy, an uncomplicated delivery or a live birth.
A clinic-ready file is an organized collection of the candidate’s available pregnancy, delivery and health information prepared for submission to the intended parents’ fertility clinic.
It does not mean that the clinic has already granted medical clearance.
The intended parents’ fertility clinic and qualified treating medical professionals make the medical decision.
The agency coordinates information and logistics but should not replace physician judgment.
Begin With a Clear Screening Process
Intended parents should know more than whether a surrogate profile is available.
They should understand:
- What has already been reviewed
- What remains incomplete
- Who will make each professional decision
- What the clinic still needs
- What happens if the proposed candidate cannot continue
- What expenses may arise before or after medical clearance
They should also understand how screening fits within the overall cost of a surrogacy journey, including clinic screening, psychological evaluation, insurance review, legal fees, travel and possible rematching expenses.
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute helps intended parents evaluate surrogate candidates through structured preliminary review, compatibility-based matching, fertility-clinic coordination, an attorney-guided legal process and independent third-party bonded escrow.
Begin With a Clear Screening and Matching Plan
Speak privately with EDSI about finding a surrogate, understanding what has already been reviewed and preparing for fertility-clinic clearance.
Schedule a Private ConsultationPrivate consultations are available for intended parents in the United States and internationally.