Egg-Sharing: Becoming an Egg Donor as Part of your IVF Treatment

Many women who suffer from fertility problems have a generous desire and empathy to help others who are going through a similar experience in any way they can, which is one of the reasons why egg-sharing has increased in popularity.

Egg-sharing is when a woman who has IVF donates some of her eggs as part of her treatment cycle, to help other infertile women to conceive.

But she doesn’t receive the £750 compensation for egg donation to cover time and expenses. Instead, as she’s having IVF and attending the clinic anyway, she’s given her private IVF cycle at a heavily-reduced rate.

Egg-sharing has proven to be a very successful scheme at Manchester Fertility, helping women who need donor eggs and those who need IVF to successfully conceive.

And as more NHS authorities across the UK restrict IVF or stop it altogether, egg donation through egg-sharing is likely to be considered by even more women who need private IVF.

If you’re interested in egg donation as part of your IVF treatment at Manchester Fertility, here’s what you should bear in mind:

Criteria for egg donation: The same criteria applies for egg donation through egg-sharing and altruistically: You must be aged 18-35, in good health with a BMI within normal range, and a non-smoker including e-cigarettes or have quit smoking at least three months prior.

Implications of egg donation: Egg-sharingmeans becoming an egg donor, and all that this entails.  It has serious implications now and in the future, including the potential of future contact from a donor-conceived child. These implications mean that egg-sharing isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly, or focused solely on receiving subsidised private IVF.

Counselling support: You’ll be offered counselling as part of your IVF treatment, but as you’re egg-sharing counselling is mandatory. It’s so we can fully explain the implications of egg donation and what it means for you as an IVF patient. We’ll discuss factors such as how you may feel if you don’t get pregnant from your IVF cycle but the woman who uses your donated eggs does – and all the wider issues of egg donation that you need to consider.

Support and care for egg donors

We want you to be confident in your egg donation decision – it’s why we take such a thorough, transparent and informed approach to egg donation in all its forms, including egg-sharing. You’ll be supported every step of the way by our dedicated Donation Team, which provides our egg donors with personal care throughout the egg donation journey.

Egg-sharing in Cheshire and Manchester

Explore more about egg donation as part of your IVF cycle and whether it’s right for you. Have a chat to our Donation Team on 0161 300 2734, or read our egg-sharing FAQs. You can also read our patient testimonials, including from couples and women who have egg-shared as part of their IVF treatment.