The question of whether donating eggs leads to infertility is a common concern for many considering this generous act. In the vast majority of cases, egg donation does not cause infertility.
How Egg Donation Works
Egg donation involves a carefully managed medical process to retrieve eggs for use by intended parents. It typically begins with a thorough screening of the potential donor, including medical history, physical exams, and blood tests, to ensure suitability and health. Once approved, the donor undergoes a phase of ovarian stimulation, which usually lasts about 10 to 12 days. During this period, the donor administers injectable hormone medications, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), to encourage multiple follicles in the ovaries to mature simultaneously.
Medical professionals closely monitor the donor’s response during stimulation through regular blood tests and transvaginal ultrasounds, tracking follicle growth and adjusting medication dosages. When the follicles reach an optimal size, a final injection, often referred to as a “trigger shot,” is given to induce the eggs’ final maturation. Approximately 36 hours later, the egg retrieval procedure takes place. This outpatient procedure involves transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration, where a thin needle suctions mature eggs from the follicles. Performed under light sedation, retrieval usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes.
Does It Affect Your Egg Supply?
A common misunderstanding concerns egg donation’s impact on a woman’s overall egg supply. Women are born with a finite number of eggs; a female fetus has 4 to 7 million oocytes. By birth, this number naturally reduces to about 1 to 2 million, and by puberty, a woman typically has between 300,000 and 500,000 eggs remaining. In a typical menstrual cycle, numerous follicles begin to develop, but only one egg usually matures and is released during ovulation. Most developing follicles, often hundreds, undergo follicular atresia and are reabsorbed, never reaching maturity.
During an egg donation cycle, the hormone medications stimulate these follicles that would otherwise be lost in that cycle to mature. This process does not “deplete” a woman’s long-term ovarian reserve or accelerate the natural decline of her egg supply. Research indicates that egg donation does not hasten menopause or diminish the overall number of eggs remaining in the ovaries. Donating eggs uses only a small fraction of the millions of eggs a woman is born with, and the process does not impact her future ability to conceive or carry a pregnancy.
Potential Medical Considerations
Egg donation is generally safe, but rare medical considerations are important to understand. Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) is the main risk of hormonal stimulation. OHSS occurs when the ovaries over-respond to the medications, leading to swelling and fluid accumulation. Symptoms of mild to moderate OHSS can include abdominal bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and ovarian tenderness, typically resolving within a week.
Severe OHSS is uncommon, occurring in approximately 1% to 5% of cycles, but can involve rapid weight gain, severe abdominal pain, shortness of breath, and in very rare instances, blood clots or kidney issues. Clinics employ careful monitoring of hormone levels and ultrasound assessments to minimize the risk of OHSS and manage symptoms if they arise. Other extremely rare risks associated with the retrieval procedure include infection or bleeding. These complications are typically manageable and do not lead to long-term infertility.