Donating your eggs

Women need egg donors for a variety of reasons. The most common reason women need donated eggs is age related. As a woman gets older, ovarian function begins to decline and egg quality deteriorates making it difficult to achieve a viable pregnancy. A woman may still be having regular menstrual cycles, but the eggs that are present are of such poor quality that the only way to successfully conceive is by using eggs donated from a younger woman.

Other reasons women may need donor eggs include:

• Cancer treatment. Women who have been diagnosed with cancer may be suddenly faced with the possibility that their fertility is likely to be compromised by the life-saving treatment they need. And there is not always time to freeze their own eggs
• Premature ovarian failure. About one in a hundred women under the age of 40 will go though a premature menopause. Sometimes this can happen very early on when they are in their teens or early twenties. 
• An inherited genetic condition. Using donated eggs will avoid passing the condition onto a child, and this may be the only way for some women to have a baby that survives and is fit and healthy.

Women who become egg donors receive compensation of £750 for each donation cycle.

The HFEA regulations state that in the UK it is illegal to pay for egg donation but that donors can receive compensation of up to £750 for each donation cycle. This sum covers any expenses for attending each appointment. 

It's extremely unlikely that donating your eggs will have any negative effects on your own fertility.

In a normal donation cycle you'll only donate as many eggs as you'd lose naturally in that month, which is usually around 10 - that means you'll still have thousands of eggs left.

You'll have to have daily injections. The daily injections copy the action of the body's natural hormones and stimulate egg production; the injections are really straightforward, and we'll teach you how to do them at home. 

How much medication you'll need to take will depend on factors like your age, medical history, and size, and we'll give you a plan that's individual to you.

You'll need to come into the clinic between 4 and 7 times. You can meet with your donation coordinator, have any counselling appointments and your consultation virtually.

 One of the first things you complete is a detailed medical questionnaire. 

We ask you to complete a genetic questionnaire which details any genetic illness within your family. 

You will also need to attend the clinic for a vaginal ultrasound scan and hormone blood tests to assess your fertility.

All donors are screened for a range of infections including:

• HIV and HTLV
• Hepatitis B and C
• Syphilis (VDRL)

We'll do whatever we can to make sure your donation isn't too disruptive.

During the short monitoring stage we'll need you to attend the clinic on specific days, but the appointments won't take long and can be scheduled to suit you - you can come in any time from first thing in the morning.

It will be necessary to be off work on the day of your egg collection. Sometimes, donors feel more comfortable if they take a day off work immediately after their egg collection but this is generally not necessary.  

In reality, you should only have to visit the clinic around six times, but we'll give you as much support as possible to make sure your visits are convenient and stress free.

The daily injections may produce a little discomfort but the egg collection will not hurt.

Egg collection is a non-surgical procedure. Egg collection is typically done under mild sedation, you will not need a general anaesthetic. No incision is made and no stitches are necessary.  

The doctor will vaginally insert a probe with a needle under ultrasound guidance into your ovary and extract eggs from the ovarian follicles.  It only takes about 30 minutes

After the procedure you'll rest in the clinic for a minimum of two hours, and then you'll be able to go home.  Our nursing team will look after you and they will make sure that you are feeling well enough to be discharged.

You might experience a little abdominal discomfort similar to period pain, but this should subside in two to three days and can easily be controlled with paracetamol. You may also have some light vaginal bleeding for a few days afterwards. These symptoms are perfectly normal after egg recovery.

Even although you haven’t had a general anaesthetic,  we do recommend that you don’t drive for 24 hours after your egg collection procedure. If you can’t bring someone to drive you home,  then we will organise a taxi for you.

We will give you contact details for one of our nurses to make sure that, if you have any questions or concerns after you leave Care, that you can get in touch with us. 

You can find out if any babies have been born.

We are able to let you know: 

• if any babies have been born 
• whether they are boys or girls
• the year of their birth 

We cannot give you any information which could lead to those children being identified.

Any children will be unable independently to trace you, and will have to apply to the HFEA for release of any information.  

The Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA) is required by law to keep a register of all donors.

Any child conceived through your donation has the legal right to contact the HFEA for non-identifying information when they reach 16 years of age. When they reach 18, they can request identifying information about you, including your most recent address on the HFEA register. 

You will be given written notice that they are requesting this before your details are released.

It is generally considered to be in the best interests of a child that they have the right to know about their identity, and that is what the register is there for. 

No, you will not be financially or legally liable. 

The recipients of your donated eggs are the legal parents of any child born as a result of donated eggs. This means that you will have no financial or legal responsibility for any donor-conceived children now or in the future. 

Donations are done anonymously. Your identity will not be disclosed to anyone other than our clinic staff and the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), which is required by law to keep a donor register.

It is an internal vaginal scan.