Egg donors

Egg donors wanted - Can you help give someone a child?

For many women, their only hope of pregnancy is to use donated eggs. They may have suffered from premature menopause, are unable to produce their own eggs or may have needed treatment which left them infertile. Or they could have an hereditary condition which they don't want to pass on.

Despite the demand, here is an acute shortage of donor eggs in the UK. Unless people like you come forward to donate your eggs, we cannot help give these childless couples the chance of their own family. At Manchester Fertility Services we strive to raise awareness of the need for more egg donors. We need healthy women like you to be willing to donate your eggs.

Many of our existing donors are mothers already, who want to help others to have children too.

Your generous gift is one of the greatest you can give. Although you don't get paid for your eggs, you will be compensated. It is currently up to £250 for loss of earnings and you also receive expenses. This is set to change however - the HFEA recently announced it plans to increase this amount to £750, including expenses. But the satisfaction of knowing you have helped give a childless couple a baby is worth far more. Will you help?

Can you be an egg donor?

Donating your eggs at Manchester Fertility Services is straightforward - but the process does need your commitment. You must:

• Be between the ages of 23 and 35
• Be willing to undergo screening tests for medical conditions and have no known serious medical disability or family history of hereditary disorders
• Know (or be able to find out) your medical history and that of your immediate family - children, siblings, parents and grandparents
• Be able to commit your time to attend regular clinic appointments and the egg retrieval procedure
• Agree to be registered with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority as a donor
• Be willing to be identified to any resulting children in the future
• Not put yourself at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Not knowingly omit any relevant information which could affect the health of any children born as a result of your donation

What's the egg donation process?

Donating your eggs isn't just about the retrieval itself. You will need to undergo screening tests and counselling first before we can accept you as a donor at Manchester Fertility Services.

The process begins when you fill in our online egg donor application form. A member of our experienced nursing team will review your form and arrange an informal appointment, where you can discuss the procedure in more detail. You'll then see our counselling team, who will discuss the implications of egg donation with you, including the fact that children conceived using your eggs may choose to trace you once they turn 18.

If you're suitable to proceed, you will then see one of our consultants who will discuss your medical history and that of your family, perform a physical examination and take blood for viral and genetic screening.

Screening tests are required to alert us to medical issues, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and specific hereditary conditions such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell and abnormal chromosomes. We also conduct a hormone test to assess how your ovaries may respond to the stimulation needed to retrieve your eggs.

If your screening results are acceptable, you will be registered as a donor with the HFEA and we can look for potential matches for your eggs. You will be rescreened at least three months after your initial tests.

We can then begin the process of stimulating your ovaries ready for egg retrieval. This is done with hormone injections to mature your eggs. This takes about six weeks, during which time you must be available to attend our clinic for appointments for monitoring.

Your eggs are then collected via a short, surgical procedure under sedation. It is not a painful procedure, and after a few hours you can go home.

What happens to my eggs?

Your donated eggs are fertilised in our laboratory using sperm from the male partner of the recipient couple. Resulting embryos are then transferred into the womb of the recipient woman, to begin growing as in a normal pregnancy. Any remaining embryos are stored for future use.

Finding out if a baby has been born from your egg donation

Many donors like to find out if any babies have been born as a result of their egg donation. You are entitled to know if your eggs have been used successfully, including the number of children that have been born, whether they are boys or girls and the year of their birth. You will not be given any information which could lead to those children being identified.

Egg donor anonymity - what children can know

The law was changed in 2005 so that all new HFEA-registered donors are potentially identifiable to any conceived children once they reach the age of 18. Until then, they only have access to non-identifying information, such as your height, weight, hair and eye colour. On your HFEA registration form, you will be asked to write a description of yourself, and this is often given to patients if a pregnancy is achieved using your donated eggs.

What's the next step?

Apply today to become an egg donor.

Or, if you've got more questions, please read our FAQs.