Becoming an Egg Donor
Egg donation provides a precious gift to many couples who are unable to conceive on their own. Egg donors may be known or anonymous.
Known donors are identified by the recipient.
Anonymous donors are women who volunteer to participate in the Donor Program. They are matched to waiting recipients by our Donor Program staff; the egg donor’s identity remains confidential throughout the entire process.
The first two criteria that must be met:
- you must be between the ages of 21 and 31
- be a non-smoker or be free from smoking for at least 3 months
Screening Process
Becoming an egg donor involves medical, genetic, psychological and infectious disease screening.
- Initial Screening: Online survey that includes personal and family medical history. We will review your answers by phone.
- Standard Screening: FDA required infectious disease survey.
- Psychological Screening: Office visit with our pyschologist Dr. Woodward.
- Physical Exam and infectious disease testing: Office visit with Dr. Copland and Donor Program staff. Includes blood draw for genetic disorders and infectious disease and cervical infectious disease testing.
You must complete all of the screening and be approved at all stages to be eligible to donate eggs. There is no cost to you for this testing.
Donation Process
Once you are approved and matched with a recipient and you have agreed to donate, you will begin oral contraceptive pills followed by a shot of Depot-Lupron to suppress your ovaries. We will ask you to call when you get your period to schedule an ultrasound and an estradiol level. Once both you and your recipient have had a period, you will begin injections of fertility mediations called gonadotropins. You will be followed with ultrasounds and blood draws for estradiol levels every 2 to 3 days for a total of 4 or 5 visits. The ultrasounds and estradiol levels will help the medical team determine the best time for egg retrieval. You will be advised to take an injection of Ovidrel to prepare you for retrieval.
Retrieval Process
On your retrieval day, you will have intravenous sedation to increase your comfort during the procedure. You must have nothing to eat or drink after midnight prior to retrieval. Once you are sedated, we will retrieve your eggs using an ultrasound to guide a small needle through your vagina into your ovary. You will be monitored after the procedure. You will need someone to drive you home that day.
Your recipient will provide egg donation insurance coverage to protect you in the very rare event of a complication related to the donation process. Once you have completed the egg retrieval, you will receive $3000 to compensate you for your time and involvement in the donation process.
If you are interested in learning more about the Donor Egg Program and meet the first two criteria (being between 21 – 31 and a non-smoker), please read this more detailed brochure – Donor Egg Program (PDF, 16 KB).
If you feel that you are still interested in becoming a donor after reading the brochure, please call our office at (919) 572-4673, choose option #1. Our staff will obtain some general demographic information from you which will be given to our Egg Donor Program staff. One of our Egg Donor staff members will speak with you by phone to talk with you more about the next steps in becoming an egg donor.
