Things to Know About Egg Donors
Welcome to the first of a three-part series of posts on egg donation! Thank you to Circle Egg Donation for sharing this helpful information!
There are a few things we know about egg donors: They are young, fabulous, selfless women, who help others fulfill their dream of having a child. But let’s talk about the things we may not know about egg donors. These incredible women…
…are educated. At the very least, egg donors are required to have a high school degree. Further, most women who donate their eggs are college graduates or are pursuing degrees in higher education.
…don’t just do it for the money. A common misconception is that women become egg donors for the paycheck. Any payment they receive should be seen as compensation for their time and any sacrifices made considering the mental and physical commitment that egg donation requires. Yes, the money is a perk, but it’s not the entire motive. According to a recent study published in BioNews, egg donors are mostly motivated by the urge to help others.
…can still have children of their own after donating their eggs. Another misconception about egg donation is that egg donors won’t have any eggs left to start a family of their own. Typically, 15-20 eggs are retrieved per cycle—a range that recent research revealed to be the most successful in terms of live birth rates. And since girls are born with 2 million eggs in their ovaries, such a minimal reduction isn’t likely to deplete a woman’s ovarian reserve to where it affects her fertility. And the number of eggs retrieved per egg donation cycle pales in comparison to the thousands of eggs women lose naturally each month.
…understand commitment. Egg donors acknowledge and respect what egg donation asks of them. It takes approximately two to three months to complete the process, which includes taking birth control to sync up an egg donor’s cycle with that of the intended mother’s (or the surrogate’s), hormone therapy to stimulate the growth of eggs, local monitoring appointments, and the actual egg retrieval.
…aren’t necessarily mothers themselves. To become an egg donor, a woman needs proven fertility. But that doesn’t mean in the form of a genetic child. All that is needed is laboratory evidence of normal ovarian reserve and no indication of impaired fertility will suffice. Being a parent is not a requirement.
…are patient. With a donor pool of more than 350 egg donors, it can take some time for Circle’s intended parents to choose an egg donor. A match typically doesn’t happen overnight. Matching is a process—one in which a number of factors play a role.
…are healthy. Egg donors are screened for hereditary and communicable diseases as well as mental health disorders before moving forward with the egg donation. Additionally, IVF clinics request egg donors be at a healthy weight, which is determined by Body Mass Index.
…are often open to keeping in touch with the intended parents. While anonymous egg donation is perfectly acceptable (and offered), the majority of egg donors choose known egg donation. Highly encouraged at our agency, known donation allows egg donors and intended parents to exchange contact information and form a relationship—one with which everyone is comfortable. Having open lines of communication with the intended parents allows egg donors to inform them of any changes in their health. Beyond that, known donation makes the process more fulfilling.
…have people looking out for them. To ensure clarity and legal appropriateness, an egg donor is assigned an independent attorney for representation.Her attorney protects her rights and negotiates the terms of the egg donor agreement. Donors are also required to have a primary support person to ensure they are receiving emotional and physical support.
Kayla Mossien is the Communications Coordinator at Circle Surrogacy. Kayla received her bachelor’s in communication and is the former editor-in-chief of Parentguide News. She’s excited to help create loving families by spreading Circle’s message through content creation, social media and marketing campaigns.