Requirements for egg donation
Would you like to become an egg donor? Egg donation is a meaningful experience that can change someone’s life. To protect the health and safety of everyone involved, egg donors must meet some specific requirements. While each clinic may have additional requirements to become an egg donor, here are the most basic ones.
Physical and Mental Health Requirements for Egg Donation
Egg donors should be in good physical and mental health. To become a donor, candidates must:
Be between 21-29 years old.
Egg quantity and quality is highest during this window of time, providing the most viable eggs for donation.
Have a BMI (Body Mass Index) between 19 and 29.
BMI does not, by itself, determine a person’s health. However, it can affect medication dosages and safety under anesthesia, which are both part of egg donation.
Pass physical and mental health screenings.
These include personal and family medical history. They also help make sure you are fully informed and ready for the egg donation process.
Be willing to stop hormonal birth control methods if accepted.
Not use any drugs, tobacco, or nicotine products.
This includes vape pens and e-cigarettes.
Legal Requirements to Become an Egg Donor
To be an egg donor with our partner egg bank, SIMPLIFY, you must be legally allowed to work in the US and have a Social Security number. All donors must also pass a background check.
It’s also important to know that as an egg donor, you do not have parental rights for any children conceived through your donated eggs. Before donating, you will sign a donor agreement stating that you are an unidentified donor and won’t have any parental rights or responsibilities.
Behavioral and Lifestyle Commitments for Egg Donors
Egg donors are responsible and generous people. The egg donor process takes around a month, and involves a series of medications, screenings, and a minor procedure. Because of the commitment involved, donors agree to follow certain lifestyle practices during the donation process, including:
Attending a series (usually up to 10) appointments, scheduled by your fertility clinic.
Abstaining from sexual intercourse during the donation process.
The medications involved make you especially fertile, so this is very important to prevent pregnancy and any sexually transmitted diseases.
Having a stable work and home life.
This is recommended by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). Donating eggs is a big decision, and you deserve to be safe, secure, and supported throughout.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Donating Your Eggs
If you meet these requirements and are still deciding if you want to become an egg donor, there are a couple other questions that might help with your decision.
Am I comfortable with needles?
For two weeks before the egg retrieval you will need to give yourself daily hormone injections. If you strongly dislike needles, this might pose a challenge (although you can enlist a friend or partner to help you!).
Does my partner support my decision?
You do not need to have a partner to donate eggs. If you are in a relationship, however, it’s important that they support you and are on board with your donation.
What if the donor-conceived child contacts me?
SIMPLIFY uses non-directed donation, meaning the intended parents don’t know your name or other personal information. However, with at-home DNA tests, more and more donor-conceived people are able to find and potentially contact their donor. It’s important to consider that possibility and how you feel about it before donating.
Become an Egg Donor with PNWF and SIMPLIFY
We started our own donor egg bank to provide donors and intended parents with the best possible medical care and support on their donation journey. If you meet the requirements for egg donation and would like to become a donor, we’d love to meet you. And if you have any questions, reach out to us today.
