Top 10 Egg Donation Myths Exposed

Thinking about being an egg donor? Then it’s important to know the facts – and not the fiction – about what egg donation really involves.

Our Donation Team debunks 10 common egg donor myths, to help you decide if egg donation is right for you:

1. “Egg donation can make you infertile in future”

This is one of the biggest egg donor myths. There are in fact no studies that show a link between egg donation and reduced fertility. Donating eggs doesn’t harm your own chance of getting pregnant.

2. “The clinic will take lots of eggs”

Would you be surprised to know that we hope to retrieve only around eight to ten eggs from your donation? You might read stories online of women that have donated lots of eggs – but a Manchester Donors our focus is donor egg quality, not quantity.

3. “You need to donate eggs lots of times”

As much as egg donors are in demand, at Manchester Donors we don’t expect you to donate more than once - just one donation is a gift and enough to make a real difference to someone. Many women do however want to donate to us a second time, because of the joy that helping someone to have a family brings.

4. “Egg donors can earn lots of money”

This might be the case in other countries but in the UK you receive a set amount of £985 compensation per donation, for your time and expenses.

5. “Egg donors are the mothers of children born”

When you donate eggs in the UK you are not considered the mother of any child born. You will have no legal or financial responsibilities to a child born from your donation. The woman that uses your eggs to have a baby – your recipient – is the child’s legal mother.

6. “Egg donation takes up too much time”

The whole egg donation process from application to donation can take a few months. But it all works around you, so it’s convenient and easy for you to be an egg donor. It’s a personalised process at Manchester Donors, that takes into account any commitments you have.

7. “Egg donation isn’t regulated”

The UK is one of the most regulated countries in the world when it comes to egg donation, so that it’s safe for donors and recipient patients who need donor eggs. That’s why there are rules about who can donate, and the screening you need to have.

8. “Donating eggs is painful”

When we retrieve the eggs from your ovaries in our clinic theatre, it is always performed under local anaesthetic and oral sedation. This means you’ll be awake, but you won’t be in any discomfort at all. We’ll explain what’s happening and you will told how many eggs you’ve donated straight away.

9. “You can’t donate eggs if you’ve been sterilised.”

Being sterilised doesn’t stop you being an egg donor, as you’re still ovulating. We receive lots of applications from women who have completed their own family, but want to help others to have a child too.

10. “You don’t get to find out what happens to your eggs.”

Wrong! The most rewarding part of being an egg donor is knowing someone has had a baby because of you. You can find out if your recipient’s fertility treatment was successful, the year of the baby’s birth and the gender.

Got an egg donor question? Contact us today

If you’ve got any questions about donating eggs, get in touch – we’re always happy to respond to your messages and queries about egg donation. Here’s how to contact us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can:

Email: donate@manchesterfertility.com

Social media: @manchesterdonors Facebook; @manchesterdonors Instagram or @manchesterdonor Twitter

Telephone: 0161 300 2734

If you’d like to be an egg donor, it’s quick and easy to apply – just complete our online form.

Local anaesthetic and oral sedation