Frequently Asked Questions about Egg Donation
Egg Donation is a charitable, generous act that allows many couples to fulfil their dreams of becoming parents. In Vitro Fertilization treatments with donor eggs entail some very specific guidelines and are often the last option for many couples apart from adoption or “throwing in the towel”.
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Egg Donation. If you wish to become a donor, You can call us (+34) 952 122 565 or send a “WhatsApp” (+34) 683 170 766. You can also sign up for our program by filling out the form that you will find at the bottom of this page.
The requirements regarding assisted reproduction are regulated by Law 14/2006 and its Implementing Regulations. Summing up, this law states that:
- You must be between 18 and 30 years of age.
- You must have the full capacity to work and also be in good psychophysical health.
- You cannot have a personal or family history of genetic diseases.
- You cannot have a sexually transmitted disease.
- Women with a lack of ovarian function.
- Patients undergoing treatments such as chemo or radiation therapy.
- Women who have undergone an ooforectomy (removal of ovaries).
- Older women, or women going through menopause, who have decided to postpone motherhood for different reasons.
- Women with genetic abnormalities who are recommended against using their own eggs in order to prevent hereditary problems.
The donors must pass various steps in the selection process:
- The initial contact via telephone or email.
- A personal interview.
- A thorough gynaecological exam.
- A psychophysical exam.
- A comprehensive analysis to detect genetic and serological markers.
Once you have satisfactorily passed all of these tests, you can be an Egg Donor with our Unit.
In all cases and as a minimum requirement for becoming a donor, the following studies will be carried out as required by the law:
- A complete gynaecological evaluation and pap smear.
- Blood type and Rh factor testing.
- Syphilis testing and serological studies for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
- A clinical study to detect whether or not toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes virus or cytomegalovirus are in stages of infection.
- A clinical study to detect Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis
- The Karyotype (a chromosome analysis) and a genetic study to detect some of the most common diseases found the Mediterranean area: Cystic fibrosis, Fragile X syndrome…).
Once you have been chosen as an Egg Donor with our Unit, we will begin the egg retrieval. For this process, you will receive ovarian stimulation by means of hormone therapy in order to assure multiple follicle development. We will provide all of the necessary medications and will monitor the entire process with ultrasounds and hormone testing. You will be able to count on our nursing staff for aid and assistance throughout the course of your treatment. Once the follicles have reached an appropriate size and quantity, we will retrieve the eggs from your ovaries using a procedure called follicular aspiration. This intervention is performed in the Operating Room under sedation and will last approximately 15 minutes. You will be able to go home about 3 hours after the intervention has been completed. You should make sure to rest for the remainder of the day.
No. Egg Donation is always anonymous, meaning that the recipient cannot offer money to the donor nor choose who the donor will be. Likewise, the donor cannot know who her eggs will go to, and the recipient cannot know where the eggs have come from.
Most egg donors go through the processes of hormone therapy and follicular aspiration with no complications; however, some may feel gassy or bloated or may experience mild premenstrual symptoms.
It is not recommended that you be sexually active while you are undergoing ovarian stimulation and follicular aspiration given that there is a greater risk of having a multiple pregnancy or ovarian torsion. We recommended waiting until after you have had your first menstrual cycle following the follicular aspiration to be sexually active again.
You can take contraceptives up until you begin receiving the hormone therapy. The medical team will let you know when you should stop taking the contraceptives, and when you can start taking them again after your treatment.
Whereas most donors go through the process with no complications or side effects, there is a slight possibility of health risks such as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). OHSS occurs when a female’s ovaries experience an exaggerated response to the ovarian stimulation treatment. This process, however, has been thoroughly studied and we always perform an exhaustive follow-up for each donor case. To this day we have not experienced any major complications at our centre.
Many studies have been carried out to check for any side effects that the hormone therapy used for ovarian stimulation could cause. Besides the possibility of side effects such as ovarian hyperstimulation or a multiple pregnancy, it has been determined that there are no other risks to females undergoing assisted reproduction treatments. Furthermore, there is absolutely no correlation between breast or ovarian cancer and assisted reproduction treatments. There is also no association between this treatment and premature menopause or with the appearance of acne or facial hair.
Donating eggs does not mean using up your ovarian reserves. When we stimulate a cycle with the help of hormones, what we are doing is inducing maturation on the follicles which would have naturally atrophied. Therefore, with a cycle of ovarian stimulation we are not reducing the number of eggs that remain in the ovaries nor are we causing the female’s fertility to diminish.
Once the eggs have been selected and classified there are a few different possibilities. The eggs that have reached peak maturity will be used fresh for insemination with the recipient’s partner’s sperm. A second possibility is that the eggs will be frozen and used for donation at a later time.
In order to be considered for egg donation you can complete the form below which will be reviewed by our donation team. If you have any other questions or wish to receive more information, you can contact the URE laboratory by calling (+34) 952 122 565, send a “WhatsApp (+34) 683 170 766, or by sending us an email to
equipoovo@urecentrogutenberg.com.
In order to be considered for egg donation, you can complete the form below which will be reviewed by our donation team.
If you have any other questions or wish to receive more information about the egg donation process, you can contact the URE laboratory by calling (+34) 952 122 565, send a “WhatsApp” (+34) 683 170 766 or by sending us an email to equipoovo@urecentrogutenberg.com.
The sections on this form marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
