Yes! ORM Fertility is here for you and we are providing all fertility treatment services at this time. Please reach out to our team with any questions you may have regarding your care at 503-274-4994 or [email protected].

At ORM Fertility, the health and safety of our staff and patients have always been our top priority. We want to assure you that ORM Fertility’s freestanding, well-engineered facilities allow us to care for you in the most protected environment possible. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we have instituted additional measures to ensure everyone’s safety.

• TELEHEALTH: We will continue to utilize video and teleconferencing for any appointments that do not require an ultrasound, bloodwork, or a surgical procedure.
• COVID-19 SCREENING: Prior to entering an ORM clinic we ask that you complete a simple electronic COVID-19 health screening survey. You can find the link here.
• TEMPERATURE CHECKS: Upon entering the clinic one of our staff will take your temperature. Anyone with an elevated temperature will be asked to go home and their appointment will be rescheduled.
• FACEMASKS: Regardless of vaccination status facemasks are required to enter an ORM facility. We ask that you bring your own facemask as supplies can be limited.
• SOCIAL DISTANCING: We will be managing scheduling and patient flow to allow for social distancing. Appointment times have been adjusted to minimize the number of people in the clinic at any given time.

Yes. Everyone, including staff and vaccinated individuals, will be required to wear their own masks while inside an ORM facility. Anyone without a mask will need to obtain one before entering the building or reschedule their appointment.

We recognize the importance that the support and reassurance of family and friends provide for our patients. We will continue to assess and adjust our visitor policies, as needed, to ensure the safety and care of patients, staff, and our community as a whole.

Effective Saturday, 3.12.2022:

• A questionnaire and temperature check are no longer required.
• Masks are required and must be worn at all times while in the building.
• NO children of any age are allowed in the clinic. Please allow proper childcare.

**Support persons are allowed as follows:

• 1 adult support person (16 or older only **NO CHILDREN**) is allowed for any in-office appointment.
• 1 adult support person in the pre/post-op room for oocyte retrieval.
• 1 adult support person in the embryo transfer room. NO phone or video allowed.
• Intended Parents + 1 support person are allowed in the embryo transfer room and OB ultrasound for Gestational Carriers, at the GC’s discretion.

  *Children (of any age) are still not permitted to accompany patients or visitors to ORM at this time.

All consultations/discussions will continue to be conducted via phone or Zoom. Consultations/discussions will NOT resume in-office at this time.

Currently, in Portland, Oregon, our downtown and Tigard locations are open. Our Westside location remains closed at this time. Our Bellevue, Washington location is open. Some appointment types are only available at certain clinic locations.

We will continue to utilize video and teleconferencing for any appointments that do not require an ultrasound, bloodwork, or a surgical procedure.

Fertility treatment is considered an essential medical service. We encourage all patients to minimize non-essential travel (not related to medical care) and to follow their local, state, and national guidelines regarding travel and recommendations for isolation following travel.

All patients, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to obtain a negative COVID test within 3 - 5 days of an oocyte (egg) collection, sperm aspiration, or any procedure requiring general anesthesia performed at ORM Fertility.

Gestational Carriers: Unvaccinated gestational carriers traveling to ORM by air will be required to obtain a negative COVID test (rapid PCR test preferred) and completion of the ORM COVID Questionnaire within 5 days of travel. If you are unable to schedule a PCR test, we will accept a home test.

Oocyte/Egg Donors: All oocyte donors, regardless of vaccination status,  traveling to ORM by air will be required to obtain a negative COVID test (rapid PCR test preferred) and completion of the ORM COVID Questionnaire within 5 days of travel. If you are unable to schedule a PCR test, we will accept a home test.

If travel is required here are some things to consider before you go:

• Wash your hands often
• Avoid touching your hands, eyes, and mouth
• Avoid close contact with others
• Wear a cloth face covering when you are in public

For more information, you can review the Center For Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for travel.

Although we hope this does not happen, if you are exposed to COVID-19, develop symptoms of, or are diagnosed with COVID-19, we will likely recommend postponing further treatment until you are healthy. Your provider and coordinating team will help guide you.

Yes. At this time, ORM Fertility recommends that all patients who are actively trying to conceive or are pregnant have access to COVID-19 vaccines. This policy is consistent with the most recent recommendations of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM).

Patients should have the opportunity to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with their healthcare providers. The decision to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will need to be on an individual basis.

While the overall risk of COVID-19 in pregnancy is low, pregnant individuals who develop COVID-19 appear to be at greater risk for severe illness.  COVID-19 in pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk for adverse events including increased risk of hospitalization, pregnancy-induced hypertension (preeclampsia), preterm (early) labor, and birth.

Unfortunately, pregnant women were not included in the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States. The vaccines currently available under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States were not tested in pregnant women prior to their approval. Pfizer and J&J have begun clinical trials including pregnant women.

The current information available for pregnant women who have received either the Moderna or the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines is very reassuring. Using v-safe, the CDC’s after vaccination health checker, just over 35,000 pregnant women have enrolled through February 18, 2021. Side effects and adverse events observed among pregnant individuals in v-safe did not differ from the general population. In 275 self-reported pregnancies, no unexpected pregnancy or infant outcomes were observed related to COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy. Safety monitoring is ongoing.

We must keep in mind that there is no zero-risk option for a pregnant woman – one needs to balance available data on vaccine safety, occupation and risk of exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus risks to pregnant patients from SARS-CoV-2 infection, and an individual’s risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease.

ORM Fertility agrees with and supports the recommendations of ASRM, ACOG, and the CDC that COVID-19 vaccines should be offered to all pregnant individuals.

We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccination with your healthcare providers.

Pfizer and Moderna

The Pfizer and Modera vaccines are mRNA vaccines- they contain no live virus or infectious material and do not use any adjuvants to enhance vaccine efficacy. These vaccines do not enter the cell nucleus and do not alter human DNA in vaccine recipients. mRNA vaccines have not been shown to cause any genetic changes. The mRNA vaccines do not contain any ingredients that are known to be harmful to pregnant women. Based on our current knowledge of mRNA vaccines, the theoretical risk of fetal harm from mRNA vaccines appears to be very low

J&J

The newest vaccine approved for emergency use (EUA) in the United States is the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. J&J uses a modified, non-infectious adenovirus (Ad-26). The vaccine triggers an immune response against the spike protein of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. It is a single-dose vaccine. Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, there is no specific data for pregnancy. Studies from other Ad26-based vaccines in pregnancy are reassuring, but remain preliminary in nature.

Similar to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the J&J COVID-19 vaccine is highly effective in preventing moderate to severe disease and death.

Recently, the FDA paused the use of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine. After review, the J&J vaccine is again available for use in the United States. Women under the age of 50 should be aware there might be an increased risk of a rare blood-clotting syndrome associated with the J&J vaccine.

As of August 10, 2021, there are three (3) COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.  When faced with the decision of which COVID-19 vaccine to receive, medical experts advise “the one that is available.”

Common vaccine side effects may resemble a mild flu-like illness and typically resolve within 1-3 days. Vaccine recipients may experience local injection site pain, fatigue, fever and/or chills, headache, and muscle and joint pain. Patients experiencing a fever after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine may take acetaminophen.

We ask that all patients share their current vaccination status with ORM Fertility. If you are planning on be vaccinated, please check with your care team to be sure the timing will not interfere with your treatment.

No. If you are actively trying to conceive and are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, there appears to be no reason to delay either attempting pregnancy or fertility treatment.  There is no scientific evidence or concern that the COVID-19 vaccine could affect fertility. Patients who do conceive in the time between the first and second dose of the vaccine should still be offered the second dose of the vaccine at the appropriate interval.

If a patient experiences a fever or symptoms similar to COVID-19 following vaccination, they should contact ORM Fertility. You may be advised to delay an appointment and/or treatment.

Yes. ORM Fertility asks that for any patient who chooses to be vaccinated, the vaccination should be done at least 3 days before or after any egg collection and/or embryo transfer. We advise this “wait period” to allow for vaccination-related side effects (i.e. high fever) to pass and help avoid the cancellation of your planned procedure.

If a patient is traveling to Portland from out of town for treatment, you should consider receiving the vaccination at least 3 days before your departure date to avoid side effects that might delay your ability to travel.

There is no scientific evidence that any of the available COVID-19 vaccines cause future infertility or sterility in either women or men. In patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infections, there is no indication their fertility has been negatively impacted.

In men, Covid-19 infection has the potential to negatively influence the quality of a man’s sperm. Any high fever, severe illness, and/or a viral infection can cause a drop in the sperm count for up to 3 months. This could temporarily reduce a man’s fertility. Further study is needed.

Yes, effective October 4, 2021, ORM Fertility will require full vaccination by gestational carriers before starting an embryo transfer treatment cycle. This policy applies to matches that occurred after October 4, 2021. Individuals are considered to be fully vaccinated 15 days following the 2nd dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or 1 dose of J & J.

ORM Fertility strongly supports COVID-19 vaccinations for all patients, although it is currently only required for gestational carriers, not their spouse/partner. 

On August 20, 2021, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine published a formal statement strongly recommending that all IVF programs require gestational carriers to be vaccinated against the COVID 19 virus before starting an embryo transfer treatment cycle. In agreement with these recommendations, we have updated our requirements as detailed above. A copy of the vaccination record must be entered into the gestational carrier’s ORM chart before they begin their treatment cycle.

Yes. In Oregon, current OSHA rules require that all staff, patients, and visitors:

• Wear a face mask in all public areas (regardless of vaccination status)
• Practice Social Distancing
• Continue hand and respiratory hygiene

Experts need to understand more about the protection that COVID-19 vaccines provide in real-world conditions before making that decision. Other factors, including how many people are vaccinated, new COVID-19 variants, and how the virus is spreading in our community, will also affect this decision. In addition, it is uncertain how effective the current COVID-19 vaccines are in preventing the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others.

Yes. We will continue to require COVID-19 testing, even if you are vaccinated,  within 3-5 days of any oocyte (egg) collection or sperm aspiration procedure performed at ORM Fertility.

While the currently available COVID-19 vaccines help protest against developing COVID-19, the vaccines do not completely prevent an individual from carrying the SARS-CoV-2 virus and/or being infectious. In addition, while the current vaccines appear extremely effective, they do not prevent 100% of all infections. The COVID-19 vaccine will not cross-react with the current COVID-19 antigen or PCR tests used to detect individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.