Egg Donation and Surrogacy

Thinking about being an egg donor and want to learn more about it?

I recently posted an article on INCIID (the InterNational Council on Infertility Information Dissemination) which provides answers to your questions, including:

• full description of the medical procedures, risks, and side effects
• how much time egg donation takes
• how much egg donors get paid
• donor eligibility requirements
• all other logistics

Egg donation helps thousands of people each year realize their families, and it relies on the generosity and dedication of healthy, vibrant, and intelligent young women. It is important for each egg donor candidate to be fully informed: click here to learn if egg donation is right for you: “Top 10 Questions Egg Donors Ask,” by Kathy Benardo.

Can I be on the birth control pill or other form of contraception?

Yes. While applying to be an egg donor, you should continue to use your preferred form of contraception. (If you get pregnant, you are not able to donate.) During the screening and cycling process, you will be instructed to go off hormone-type contraception (the pill, Nuvaring) at certain times. Sexual activity will need to be avoided for the short cycle period, as instructed by the clinic.

How much do egg donors get paid?

The Northeast Assisted Fertility Group offers each egg donor $10,000, payable immediately after the retrieval.  The compensation is agreed on beforehand and does not correspond to the number or quality of eggs retrieved.

How much do egg donors get paid?

There are no laws regarding how much you can get paid to be an egg donor. However, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) establishes ethical guidelines for egg donor compensation; the current cap is $10,000 per cycle (egg donors get paid for the time and effort of the cycle, not for the eggs retrieved). Other programs may offer more than $10,000, but keep in mind that the egg donor, recipient, and clinic would all be working unethically under these circumstances.

What are the qualifications to be an egg donor?

You must be over 21 and in excellent health with a normal height and weight (your body mass index, or BMI, should not exceed 27). You must be familiar with the medical history of your parents and extended family (so women who were adopted traditionally are ineligible). You should not smoke, drink, or engage in risky behaviors.  Distinguished academic achievement and attractiveness are especially valued characteristics. The ethnic backgrounds in greatest demand are Caucasian and Asian (especially Chinese and Indian). There is no official maximum age, but the best candidates are under 30. Most candidates over 30 are hard to match unless they have donated successfully before.

In order to be an egg donor, you will fill out a lot of forms and answer a lot of questions. It is important to be as honest as possible, so the right match can be made for you. Your honesty, maturity, and responsibility levels will be evaluated during your psychological screening, so only the dedicated need apply.

What are the side effects and risks of egg donation?

Most women tolerate the egg donation process very well. Towards the end of the stimulation phase you may experience symptoms similar to early pregnancy or PMS: bloating, fatigue, etc. You may be a little sore and tender after the retrieval, but that will go away after a day or two. Although rare, the most common complication is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which results in bloating and pain. When hyperstimulation occurs you go back to the clinic and have it treated.

There are about ten thousand donor egg cycles in the US every year.  Many more women go through this same process in order to get pregnant using their own eggs. It is a common procedure but not without risks. It is important to go over all the side effects and risks with the nurses and doctor at the clinic to gain complete understanding. You will need to abstain from sexual activity during the stimulation phase, and must follow all the directions precisely. The fertility nurses at the clinic are there for support at all times. You should have all your questions answered and feel fully informed before going ahead.

How long does egg donation take?

From screening to retrieval, an egg donation cycle takes up to about three months. About four weeks of this period is waiting for test results, when there is little for you to do. You should know the cycle dates far enough in advance to adjust your schedule accordingly. You may be able to start right away or you may have to wait a few weeks to get matched with a recipient (more on the egg donation matching process below).

In my egg donor program it typically takes between four weeks and four months for egg donors to get matched. The medical screening begins only after the match is made.

What medical procedures are involved with egg donation?

Egg donation requires stimulating the ovaries with hormones to bring a number of eggs to maturity, then retrieving the eggs through a minor surgical procedure.

In order to be an egg donor, you will need to make a number of trips to a fertility clinic. First, you will need to be screened to make sure you qualify. For your screening, you will meet with a social worker or psychologist, a geneticist, and a doctor. You will have a gynecological exam and blood tests to check for genetic and infectious diseases.  Additionally, on the third day of your period, you will probably be asked to have a blood test at a local lab to check your hormone levels (a “day 3” test). If you are on hormone-type birth control, such as the pill or Nuvaring, you will have to go off it temporarily in order to take this test. It takes about four weeks to get these screening results back. Most egg donors pass their screenings.  If you don’t pass your screening, the clinic will tell you the reason.

The clinic will then set a schedule for the egg donation (or the “cycle”) and you will go on birth control pills or a drug called Lupron that will temporarily stop ovulation. This gets your cycle synchronized with the recipient’s. Then you will begin your daily injection of hormones which lasts about eight to twelve days. You do the injections yourself. The nurses teach you how; it is easy and does not hurt. Then every other day or so you will have to stop by the clinic, usually first thing in the morning, to test your blood and (sometimes) have a sonogram. These monitoring visits usually take no more than a half hour or so, but they are important to see how you are responding to the drugs. Once the doctor sees enough mature eggs the retrieval will be scheduled.

During the retrieval, the eggs (from about eight to twenty) will be aspirated through a needle through the vagina. It usually takes about a half hour, and you are given light anesthesia. You need to take a full day off from school or work the day of your retrieval. The screening will require a few hours off, while the monitoring can usually be worked into your everyday routine.