Egg donation is a medical process where a woman provides her eggs to help another individual or couple conceive. This act is governed by strict requirements designed to protect the health and safety of the donor, recipients, and the resulting child. The rigorous screening ensures the donor is physically, genetically, and psychologically prepared, increasing the chance of a successful outcome.
Age and Lifestyle Criteria
Initial eligibility requires donors to be between 21 and 30 years old. This range is selected because women in their twenties typically have the highest quality and quantity of eggs, optimizing success rates for the recipients. Egg quality and response to fertility medication decline after the early thirties.
A healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) is a fundamental physical requirement, generally needing to fall within the 18 to 29 range. Maintaining a healthy weight ensures the donor responds appropriately to the hormonal stimulation medications. Donors with a high BMI may have altered hormone levels, increasing the risk of complications like Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS).
Programs enforce a zero-tolerance policy for smoking, nicotine use, and recreational drug use. Nicotine, from cigarettes or vaping products, negatively affects egg quality and ovarian function, reducing the viability of donated eggs. Potential donors are tested for nicotine and drugs and must prove a sustained clean status before being approved to cycle.
Detailed Medical and Fertility Screening
Candidates proceed to a thorough clinical assessment to confirm reproductive health, including a physical examination, transvaginal ultrasound, and hormonal blood tests. The ultrasound performs an Antral Follicle Count (AFC), which assesses the number of resting follicles in the ovaries, estimating the potential egg yield.
Lab tests measure Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels. AMH indicates the ovarian reserve, or remaining egg supply. Many clinics require an AMH level above 2.0 ng/mL, and this test can be measured at any point in the menstrual cycle.
FSH is tested early in the menstrual cycle to assess communication between the brain and the ovaries. An elevated FSH level suggests the brain is working harder to stimulate the ovaries, indicating a diminished egg reserve or poor egg quality. These hormone tests, combined with the AFC, predict how well a donor will respond to stimulation medications.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates comprehensive infectious disease screening to prevent disease transmission. These tests must be performed shortly before retrieval, usually within 30 days of the procedure. Mandatory screenings include testing for:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) types I and II
- Hepatitis B and C
- Syphilis
- Gonorrhea
- Chlamydia
Genetic and Mental Health Evaluations
A detailed review of the donor’s family medical history is required to assess the risk of passing on inherited conditions. Donors must document the health status of biological relatives across at least three generations, including parents, siblings, and grandparents. This history identifies patterns of familial disease, such as certain cancers, heart conditions, or neurological disorders.
Genetic carrier screening uses a blood or saliva test to determine if the donor carries specific recessive gene mutations. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends screening for conditions like Cystic Fibrosis and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Modern expanded panels often test for more than 100 conditions, providing a comprehensive risk assessment.
The psychological evaluation is a mandatory, non-medical component ensuring the donor is emotionally stable and fully understands the implications of the donation. This assessment is conducted by a licensed mental health professional and includes a clinical interview alongside a standardized personality assessment. The interview focuses on the donor’s motivation, coping mechanisms, and her understanding that she will have no parental rights or responsibilities to any resulting child.
Understanding the Time and Commitment
The entire egg donation process, from screening to retrieval and recovery, typically requires a commitment of two to three months. The most intensive phase is the ovarian stimulation period, lasting about 10 to 14 days, during which the donor must self-administer daily hormone injections.
This stimulation phase requires frequent monitoring at the fertility clinic, often involving six to ten early morning appointments for blood tests and ultrasounds. These visits ensure the donor is responding correctly to the medication and allow the physician to adjust dosages. The donor must have a flexible schedule and reliable transportation to attend these time-sensitive morning visits.
A formal legal contract must be executed before the medical cycle begins. This document establishes the rights and responsibilities of all parties and includes the donor’s explicit waiver of any current or future parental rights to the eggs or resulting children. The agreement also specifies the compensation the donor will receive for her time and compliance.