I have been sterilised – can I still donate eggs?

Yes, as long as your ovaries have not been removed, you can donate eggs.

How do I find my nearest clinic?

Look at the UK Licensed clinics who recruit egg donors pdf file for contact details, or phone the helpline for further information.

I am taking oral contraceptives / injections will I have to stop taking these in order to be an egg donor?

If you are taking oral contraceptives you will have to stop these for the month that you are undergoing treatment. Injections have a longer effect so you would have to stop them for longer.

I am a young looking 37 year-old in good health, with 2 healthy children who were born when I was over 30. I have been told that I cannot be an egg donor. Why is this?

The success rate for assisted conception treatment relates to the age of the egg provider and there is a significant decline in fertility after the mid-30s. Also there is an increased risk of chromosomal abnormality in children conceived by older women. HFEA therefore recommends that egg donors should be no older than 36years at the time of donation.

Am I at increased risk of developing cancer in the future if I have donated eggs?

From time to time articles appear in the media about a risk of ovarian cancer connected with fertility drugs. Current research is inconclusive on this and it may be infertility that causes any increased risk rather than the drugs. If there is any increased risk it is likely to be very small.

Will the process be time consuming and expensive?

Prior to being accepted as a donor you will need to attend screening and counselling appointments. The treatment itself will involve a few weeks of daily injections, (you can usually do these yourself at home), and several appointments for blood tests and scans prior to the actual egg retrieval. Centres will vary regarding how many visits you will require.

From the 1^st April 2005 , donors may claim reasonable expenses incurred in connection with gamete donation. For example, the cost of travel to the clinic or the cost of childcare where you would have normally been caring for a child.

Donors may also claim compensation for earnings lost during gamete donation up to a daily maximum of £55.19, with an overall maximum of £250 per cycle of egg donation.

Will the process be painful?

Some lower abdominal discomfort is often experienced in the later days of stimulation and for a few days following egg retrieval, but this varies a lot from person to person.

Are there any possible negative side effects, particularly long-term?

All operations of any sort carry a small risk of infection and bleeding. In extreme cases a pelvic infection could lead to damaged tubes resulting in future fertility problems for the donor themselves. There is also a risk that donors could become pregnant themselves as a result of treatment, so it is strongly advised to ensure that you take precautions against this around the time of your egg retrieval.

If I donate my eggs, can I receive free IVF treatment?

Some clinics run egg-sharing schemes where, in return for donating half of the eggs produced, sharers (often called 'egg providers') receive reduced price treatment themselves.

Can I freeze my eggs for use in the future? If not, why not?

The success rate for IVF with frozen eggs is very low and most centres currently freezing eggs do so only for research.