What is egg donation?
Egg donation is the process by which one woman(an egg donor)
donates her ova, or eggs, so that an infertile couple may have
a child. This does not involve the actual removal or donation
of the ovaries; it simply means that doctors will extract egg
cells from one of the woman's ovaries.
Who can donate eggs?
Various egg donation clinics have different requirements for
egg donors. Generally, you must be between 18 and 35 years of
age. Most clinics, however, will require you to be between 21
and 35 due to the emotional commitment. You must almost certainly
be a non-smoker. In addition to this, egg recipients often look
for other factors (education, physical characteristics such
as height, genetic predisposition to certain ailments such as
cancer or diabetes, ethnicity matching their own, etc.). You
can check with an egg donation clinic regarding further criteria
if you meet the age requirements, are a non-smoker, and are
prepared for the medical and psychological risks associated
with egg donation, but you must understand that the screening
process for ovum donors is extremely selective.
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What does the egg donation process involve?
To begin with, you will be injected with a drug which will inhibit
your natural menstrual cycles. The doctor will use this to
synchronize your menstrual cycle with that of the recipient.
Once the cycles are in synch, you will begin injections of
a drug which will stimulate your ovaries. Your ovaries will
be examined using ultrasound, and blood tests will be given
to check your levels of estradiol. Once your ovarian follicles
have matured, you will receive one more injection (human chorionic
gonadotrophin). A few days later, the doctor will extract
eggs from your ovaries (usually using a syringe-like instrument)
while you are sedated. The average cycle for this process,
from the initial injection to the actual withdrawal of the
eggs, is about 3 to 5 weeks.
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What is the compensation for being an egg donor?
Most donors are compensated monetarily for their eggs. This amount
can range from hundreds to a few thousand dollars. The amount
will vary from clinic to clinic. It should be noted that compensation
should never be the only factor in deciding to donate eggs.
You must be prepared for the medical, psychological, and emotional
investments before considering this process. Many clinics
will not discuss these risks with you; you should see a doctor
to learn about what risks are involved.
Using Donor Eggs
The cost of using donor eggs with the IVF process range from $10,000 to $20,000.
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By FertilityProRegistry Staff
Update: April 27, 2007
