Using an Egg Donor

If a woman is unable to produce her own eggs, an egg from another woman can help her to have a baby. This may be from our compensated egg sharing scheme, an altruistic donor, or a known or crossed-donor.

Egg donation may be the answer if you:-

• Have had an early menopause
• Have no ovaries or had them removed
• Have had cancer treatment which has damaged the ovaries
• Are producing few or low quality eggs
• Have tried to conceive unsuccessfully using IVF
• Have a high risk of passing on an inherited disorder

What does this treatment mean?

Eggs from another woman are fertilised with your male partner’s or donor sperm and implanted into your womb.

What does it involve?

For her

The lining of your womb is prepared to receive the embryos using hormone tablets. After the eggs are collected from the donor and fertilised, the best embryos are transferred into your womb as in an IVF cycle.

For him

On the day of egg collection you will be asked to give a sperm sample (unless donor sperm is being used). This is mixed with the donor eggs and is used either to fertilise the eggs for use in IVF, unless you have a low sperm count or poor quality sperm then the eggs may be fertilised by ICSI.

How successful is it?

The chances of success are often higher than conventional IVF. This is because the eggs are donated by women aged under 36 who are usually more fertile.

Ways to find a donor

There is a shortage of donors which means you may have to wait two years or more to be matched with a suitable donor.

You may:-

• Wait for a suitable anonymous donor. These donors undergo the procedure voluntarily.
• You may share the eggs from another woman participating in our egg sharing programme   NB: The donor will remain anonymous to you. However, children born as a result of donated eggs will be able to discover the identity of the donor on reaching the age of 18. This information will be held by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
• Ask a relative or friend to donate their eggs either directly to you or anonymously to someone else on the waiting list so that you automatically reach the top of the waiting list and have the next suitable anonymous donor.
• Advertise for a donor yourself or ask the National Gamete Donation Trust for help to locate a donor.

Egg donation needs careful consideration; there are complex emotional and psychological issues that you need time and support to consider. All couples have an appointment with our counsellor and with a nurse to discuss the implications of this treatment.