All About Donating Your Eggs

Have you ever thought about donating your eggs? The unique gift of egg donation is one of the most amazing things you can do. If you’d like to join the women who’ve changed lives through egg donation, Egg Donors UK can tell you about what’s involved in the process.

When you donate eggs, you are giving someone who is unable to conceive the chance to still achieve pregnancy and have a precious child of their own. 

It’s a very generous gesture and we understand that it’s a big decision, but if you feel you could help someone in this way, then the Egg Donors UK team can answer all your questions and are here to help start you on your journey. 

What is egg donation?

Egg donation is where a woman donates her eggs to help another woman have a baby. It involves stimulating your ovaries using fertility hormones. The eggs are then gently retrieved and used in treatment by someone who needs an egg donor. You’ll never know who’s using your donated eggs – egg donors and recipients are anonymous to each other.

Can I donate my eggs?

To be an egg donor, you need to meet certain age and health requirements. This helps to ensure that the eggs you donate give your recipient the best chance of pregnancy. You’ll also have screening, including a fertility assessment, to check that you’re able to donate eggs safely.

To donate to Egg Donors UK, the criteria is simple and straightforward. We ask that: 

• You’re aged 18-35
• You have a healthy range BMI of 19-35
• You have no family history of inheritable diseases or conditions
• You’re a non-smoker (or have quit at least 3 months prior)

You can donate eggs if you’ve already had children or are yet to start a family, if you have been sterilised or if you are using contraception such as the coil or the contraceptive pill.

You can also donate if you need IVF yourself. This is called egg sharing, where you donate a proportion of the eggs we collect from your IVF cycle to our donor programme. In return, your cycle of IVF is subsidised making the cost more affordable to you.

How long does egg donation take?

An egg donation cycle doesn’t take very long – usually only a few weeks – but the entire donation process can take around three months, because of all the pre-donation screening and counselling that you have first.

These important steps ensure a safe egg donation cycle for you, quality eggs for your recipient and gives you the opportunity to chat through egg donation with our friendly, experienced counsellors so you can really think about its implications before you consent.

What can a donor egg recipient know about me?

Your donor egg recipient will only be given the information that’s in your donor profile, which doesn’t contain anything that can identify you. Your donor profile includes your physical characteristics and the personal pen portrait that you write, which is your own story of ‘you’ and tells a recipient all about the special person behind the donation.

Do egg donors get paid?

Egg donors in the UK receive compensation of £985 following a donation cycle.  This is to cover expenses and costs associated with donating eggs, such as travel. You will receive your compensation after you have completed your egg donation cycle. 

Can I find out what happens to my eggs?

Yes – we can tell you if your recipient’s treatment was successful, and you can also find out the year of the baby’s birth and the gender, if you want to know.

You’re not legally or financially responsible for any children born from your donated eggs, but you are identifiable when that child reaches the age of 18. This means a person conceived from your eggs has the chance to find out who you are one day, if they want to know. We’ll talk to you about this during your pre-donation counselling session.

How do I get started for egg donation?

It’s easy to get started, but don’t take our word for it – here’s what one of our egg donors had to say about her donation journey with us:

“My whole experience with the Manchester Fertility donor team has been one of pleasure and ease. The staff thoroughly helped me though each step of the donation process— from counselling to egg collection, I’ve always been made to feel comfortable.

“Everyone has been so wonderful and supportive, and any time I’ve had questions or concerns, the team have been quick to provide me with information and make me feel at ease. Many thanks to everyone on the team!”

Why not head to our website and complete our simple online application form and we’ll be in touch. If you have any questions, contact the Egg Donors UK team on 0161 300 2734. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date on our egg donor news.

For more information on egg donation in the UK, visit the HFEA and the Seed Trust – the UK charity for egg, sperm and embryo donation.