Egg Donation & Existing Medical Conditions - What we Screen Egg Donors For

Keen to donate eggs but worried you can’t because of an existing medical condition?

Having an illness or medical condition – even one for which you take regular medication – doesn’t necessarily exclude you from being an egg donor.

The types of illnesses or conditions we’re concerned about for egg donation are ones which:

• May affect ovulation
• May affect egg production
• May influence your response to fertility medication
• Run in your family and therefore have a risk of being passed onto any children born using your eggs.

An individual approach

Even if you have a condition that is fertility-related, we take an individual approach to assess its severity and impact on your fertility.

We’ll perform tests as part of your egg donor screening to examine your fertility including your ovarian reserve. You’ll only be allowed to progress as an egg donor if you’re able to physically and safely donate eggs without your own health being compromised.

This individual approach means many women can still donate eggs to us even though they have conditions such as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or Endometriosis.

Family history of conditions

If you have a family history of a condition, we’ll always seek clarification as to the nature of the condition and its potential impact on your health and the health of a donor-conceived child, before accepting you as an egg donor.

Confirmed serious genetic or hereditary conditions in your family would prevent you from donating eggs, simply because the risk of it being passed on would be too high. It’s important for women who need donor eggs that the eggs offered are safe for their use and for the health of their child. It’s why egg donor screening is so thorough.

Egg donor screening: What we test for

If you wish to donate eggs, you’ll be health screened in line with the HFEA’s strict regulations. We test for diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis and Rubella, as well as STIs including Chlamydia and Syphilis.

We’ll discuss all the tests you’ll need with you so you’re completely informed. Testing is done as part of your thorough medical consultation with one of our fertility doctors, where we look in detail at your medical history and that of your family to ascertain if you’re able to be an egg donor.

Safe, award-winning egg donation in Manchester & Cheshire

If you have any questions about egg donation and medical conditions or required health screening, contact our dedicated Donation Team on 0161 300 2734. Read our FAQs for common egg donation questions including the criteria to donate eggs, and learn more about the egg donation process.

If you’d like to apply to join our award-winning egg donor programme, apply online.