Donor Health FAQs

Your body mass index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy.

To be accepted as an egg donor your BMI should be between 19 and 35. Your BMI (Body Mass Index) is calculated using your height and weight to make sure you are within the range to become an egg donor.

If you want to find out if you are eligible for egg donation, our application form includes a handy BMI calculator.

Due to the risks to egg quality caused by nicotine, smokers cannot be accepted as egg donors. When you apply to become an egg donor, we ask you if you smoke, and we will test your urine for nicotine at your appointments.

If you used to smoke or are trying to stop smoking, you must have no nicotine in your system for at least three months before your donation application. You should then be free from the effects of nicotine, including e-cigarettes, as they still contain nicotine.

You should be free from the effects of nicotine, so please be aware that passive smoking can give a positive result in your nicotine test.

Having a medical condition – even one for which you take regular medication – doesn't necessarily exclude you from being an egg donor. It's always worth checking with us before you apply. It depends on the condition and whether it is hereditary to any child born from your eggs.

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.

Yes

No. In a donation cycle, we will collect all of the eggs that would have been lost naturally in that month, so this will not impact you later on in life or make you run out of eggs.

We take blood and urine samples to test for infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis, and Chlamydia. We also check your chromosomes and test if you are a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis. We also carry out a transvaginal ultrasound scan to ensure that your ovaries and uterus are healthy and normal.

Drugs are taken in the form of daily injections. These drugs mimic the action of the body’s natural hormones. Drug doses and combinations are calculated for each donor depending on a number of factors including age, medical history, body size etc. Details will be given to you in the form of an individual ‘protocol’.

The medication is given in the form of injections and you will be required to administer the injections yourself at home. You will attend an appointment with a fertility nurse who will teach you how to administer the injections in the right way. This appointment is called a ‘prep appointment’ and can be done virtually or in person at the clinic to meet your preference.

Some methods of contraception may need to be changed before being accepted onto the programme, depending on the donor’s individual hormone levels. Our team will discuss your options if this applies to you, we will always give you expert guidance and ensure that you are fully informed about your contraceptive choices.

Egg collections are carried out under general anaesthetic. During the post-operative period, you may experience some abdominal discomfort similar to period pain. Paracetamol (if you are not allergic to it) will usually control any discomfort, which generally subsides in 2 to 3 days. 

You will rest in the clinic for about two hours after the procedure and then you will be able to go home. You will need someone to take you home as you are not advised to drive for 24 hours after the sedation.

All parts of the cycle are carried out on an outpatient basis, which does not require you to stay overnight.

You do not need to stop the combined contraceptive pill until you start treatment, at which point you can will stop it whilst taking the injections, ensuring to use condoms where required. You can restart this a 7 to 10 days following on from your egg collection.

You may be asked the stop the progesterone only pill (the mini pill) to induce a bleed, but you can start this again a 7 to 10 days following on from your egg collection.

Some donors can find aspects of the egg donation process uncomfortable, but any discomfort can be managed with over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol.