10 Common Questions About Egg Donation

The process of egg donation raises a lot of questions both from recipients and from donors. This procedure is intended to help couples who experience significant problems with fertility to become parents with the help of IVF and donated eggs. For the egg donors, the donation is a way to earn extra money if they meet all medical requirements for the procedure.

Nevertheless, a lot of women interested in being egg donors often don’t know about these requirements. There are also a lot of questions rising about the eligibility for donation and the safety of the whole procedure. Usually, that’s a lot to unpack, so we’ll cover ten most frequently asked questions about egg donation.

Are women with PCOS eligible to become egg donors?

PCOS is a medical condition that doesn’t allow women to donate their eggs. With a few exceptions, of course: egg donations in these cases are allowed for closest siblings.

The main reason for this restriction is low conceivability — ovaries affected by PCOS can’t maintain stable periods. This syndrome disrupts the menstrual cycle, which subsequently requires an ovarian stimulation procedure that often has a high chance to cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. This is the main reason why women with PCOS are not the best candidates for egg donation — risks for their health overlap potential profits.

What does the egg donation process look like?

The procedure can be broken down into 4 steps:

1. Application and intake.
2. Matching and screening.
3. Medication cycle.
4. Egg retrieval.

Firstly, there must be research conducted. It’s important to check off any medical contraindications for this process and decide if a candidate is eligible to become an egg donor. This takes a few interviews where a candidate can ask any question concerning the procedure as well as receive a lot of material from educational resources on this topic.

If this stage is successfully complete, an egg donor waits to be selected by intended parents. This phase is also designed to create a medication and retrieval schedule that will suit every participant of the process including doctors and intended parents.

As they wait, donors have to go through a screening process that may take up to ten weeks. This includes mental health checkup and a few laboratory tests: different hormone levels, antibodies tests, and drug test. The screening phase is also when the official mutual agreement is signed. The main point of this document is to make it clear to the donor that once the clinic receives her eggs, she loses every legal right to them.

After the signing, the medication cycle starts right at the start of the next menstrual period of the donor. The donor receives daily subcutaneous injections of hormones to stimulate fertility. This stage also includes a few morning screenings to check on the response to the received medication. By the end of this stage, an egg is ready for retrieval.

A lot of donors find this stage stressful due to many appointments in the fertility clinic. This is why it’s important for doctors and other staff to be clear on every manipulation performed — if there are any questions about any procedure, the clinic must have a full answer.

For the egg retrieval process, the donor receives twilight anaesthesia. With vaginal ultrasound visualization, a small needle is guided to the ovaries to retrieve the eggs. The whole procedure lasts for no more than 30 minutes, but a proper recovery period for the donor is required. During the recovery, the donor should rest and avoid sexual and intensive physical activities until her doctor can confirm that there is no risk of side effects or complications.

Can women with clinical depression become egg donors?

Antidepressant therapy is a major contraindication for hormone intake. Therefore, women who receive such therapy are not eligible to become donors. Also, the whole process of egg donation is long and may be exhausting for women with depression — this can cause new manifestations of depression.

A few studies have confirmed that depression can be a genetically transmitted condition. To exclude the risk of hereditary transmission of depression, women with this diagnosis cannot be qualified for egg donation.

Who can become an egg donor?

Requirements for egg donation are different in every country. The main demands are a good state of health and the absence of hereditary diseases and bad habits.

By Ukrainian law, fertility clinics must provide candidates with a full medical examination before the start of the treatment to ensure their eligibility to become egg donors. In general, there are a few strict requirements for candidates:

• age of 18-30;
• at least one own healthy child;
• no hereditary diseases in the family;
• non-smoker without a history of alcohol overuse;
• stable periods;
• BMI ranges from 21 to 28.

To find any hereditary diseases, a full genetic examination is performed, including karyotype and gene mutation tests. Also, a few laboratory tests have to be performed to exclude candidates with STDs and TORCH infections.

In short, only the healthiest candidates are eligible to become egg donors — the procedure is serious and no risks should be taken.

How much are egg donors getting paid?

Egg donation is a long and exhausting process that should be paid fairly. All the medical examinations, time spent for numerous screenings and waiting have to be compensated accordingly. The amount of said compensation varies depending on donation history, the ethnic diversity of the donor, and some other factors considered.

Usually, donors are paid up to 7000 EUR depending on the country. In Ukraine, the average compensation amount is 4000 EUR.

Are there any risks for health?

Although egg donation is a safe process, some short-term side effects may occur from taking medication and undergoing some procedures. Most of these side effects don’t affect the donor`s health in a serious way and are easily treated.

Some of the medication taken during the medication phase can cause light headaches, bloating, or fatigue. There is a minor risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, but this complication is easily treatable.

Numerous laboratory tests and procedures that involve injections can cause some discomfort and bruising but are certainly not dangerous.

The egg retrieval process, although is done under anaesthesia, may cause some physical discomfort. In rare cases, there were some complications registered: excessive bleeding and bowel discomfort after the manipulation.

Intake of the medication that stimulates fertility increases conceivability in women. That may cause unplanned pregnancy if the donor had sexual intercourse not long after the egg retrieval.

Can women on birth control become egg donors?

Birth control pills, rings, and patches are not contraindications for egg donation. The only exception here is any hormonal intrauterine device implanted — it should be taken out before the start of the procedure. Other non-hormonal means for birth control won’t affect donor’s eligibility and health.

Can an 18-year-old woman become an egg donor?

Starting age for women who are interested in becoming egg donors is different in every country. While in the US women under 21 can’t be candidates for this procedure, Ukrainian law counts people over 18 years old as adults, so 18-year-old women can be egg donors if other requirements are met.

However, usually at the age of 18 a lot of women don’t meet another major requirement for egg donation — having at least one own healthy child.

Are smokers eligible for egg donation?

Smoking directly affects fertility and overall health. Bodies of the women who smoke produce significantly less follicle-stimulating hormone than bodies of non-smokers. Therefore, active smokers can’t donate their eggs.

If a candidate smokes, the only option to become eligible for the process will be quitting smoking at least six months prior to the donation.

Is egg donation fully anonymous and confidential?

The processes of egg donation and IVF are completely anonymous in Ukraine. Both procedures are strictly regulated by the national laws — therefore, egg donors don’t have any access to information about the recipients.

Every bit of the information about lab results or treatments received during the egg donation is completely confidential — only the doctor has access to it exclusively in terms of providing the right medical treatment.

Intended parents can choose eggs from unknown donors as well as they have a right to learn general information about them — for example, their ethnicity. Our clinic informs both parties on the privacy rules and identity confidentiality terms.

However, DNA kits and genetic investigations are gaining more popularity nowadays. This factor is out of our control, so there is a chance that in the future the donor`s identity could be revealed after interpreting such test results.

Our clinic has legal assistance from one of the best Ukrainian law offices with a large experience in the field of surrogacy and fertility law. Every legal question will be answered, and full legal support from the start of the process and up until the child`s birth will be provided.