How to become an egg donor

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, about 15 %of couples around the world are infertile. Millions of mothers and fathers, like no one else, want to share their love and care with their baby - to see his first smile, his first step, to hear his first laugh. The oocyte donation procedure allows women whose ovaries do not produce healthy eggs to carry and give birth to a child. Donor program participants have an incredible opportunity to change a family's life for the better, and it is often one of the most compelling reasons to participate in the amazing process of creating a new person.

But before you donate your eggs to donate, it is important to know all the features of this procedure in order to make a balanced and informed decision.

What is egg donation

Egg donation is a procedure when one woman donates her healthy oocytes to another and helps her become a mother. Donor eggs are used for various reasons - for example, the patient has experienced early menopause, does not have her own viable oocytes (due to previous surgeries on the reproductive organs, hormonal disorders, chemotherapy), she was unable to get pregnant after several unsuccessful IVF cycles, or she is at high risk the birth of a child with a serious genetic disease.

After donation, the eggs are fertilized with the sperm of the recipient partner (or sperm of the donor), as in conventional IVF. As a result, an embryo is formed, which is transferred to the uterus of the expectant mother. Thus, a woman gets the opportunity to experience the joy of pregnancy and the birth of a baby. Some of the eggs are frozen so that if unsuccessful, they can try again. 

Donation can be either non-anonymous, when oocytes are donated by friends or relatives of the couple, or anonymous, when this is done by a stranger. If it is important for future parents to see an anonymous donor, ISA Fertility Agency will organize a meeting in the office or a video call (if the participant programs are not against).

Both anonymous and non-anonymous donors sign a waiver of rights to the unborn child and subsequently cannot find out any information about the baby and participate in his upbringing.

< h2 id="">Who can become a donor

General requirements for candidates are established by law:

• Donor age from 20 up to 32 years old. It is during this period that a woman’s reproductive system is most active, and the likelihood of genetic changes in eggs is low, which, in turn, reduces the risk of miscarriage and fetal abnormalities. 
• Physical and mental health. This condition is necessary to ensure that neither the child nor the mother inherits any genetic, chronic or infectious diseases from the donor oocytes. A complete list of contraindications to donation is listed in Order of the Ministry of Health No. 803n . 
• Completed medical genetic examination. 

In addition, various agencies present additional requirements for candidates: absence of bad habits and pronounced individual characteristics of appearance, harmonious physique, normal body mass index. It is desirable, but not necessary, to have a child - if a girl has already had pregnancy and childbirth, this not only confirms that her eggs are viable and healthy, but also makes it possible to reliably verify that her child does not have genetic diseases.

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An important criterion is a high understanding of the degree of his responsibility, since the donor will have to adhere to strict discipline - visit the doctor in a timely manner, take medications and fulfill medical prescriptions.

ISA Fertility selects candidates based on 88 parameters, and only 20% pass to the next stage. This strict “competition” is necessary to obtain high-quality eggs and increase the likelihood of pregnancy, while ensuring the safety of the process for both the donor and the recipient.

What it takes to donate eggs for donation?

The process can be divided into several stages:

1. Filling out an application for donation, which indicates the general data - full name, age, height and weight, contact details. After this, an agency employee contacts the candidate and invites her to a consultation.
   
   
2. Meeting with a coordinator who explains how donation works, talks about the risks and answers all questions that arise.
   
   
3. Filling out a detailed questionnaire, which includes the candidate’s medical history, personal characteristics, ethnic origin, detailed description of external parameters (eye and hair color, face shape, shoe sizes and clothes), education, place of work, lifestyle, hobbies, as well as photographs - in childhood and adulthood. This data is needed to select a woman who is as similar as possible to the donor.
   
   
4. Primary medical examination and consultation with a gynecologist-reproductologist, as well as an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs. An ultrasound can determine the condition of the ovaries and the number of follicles (vesicles where eggs are located). To prepare for the donation procedure, 6 visible follicles are usually required. In addition, doctors take blood samples from the candidate and do an analysis of the level of fertility hormones.

5. Conversation with a psychologist, where you can discuss fears and worries about egg donation and the long-term consequences of this decision. Psychological support allows the girl to feel calm, protected and confident.

6. Comprehensive medical examination, including:

• Tests for hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, sexually transmitted infections;
• General urinalysis;
• ECG;
• Fluorography;
• Determination of blood group and Rh factor to avoid Rh conflict during pregnancy;
• Identification of a history of viral diseases (measles, rubella, etc.);
• Examination by a psychiatrist and narcologist;
< li id="">Medical genetic research;
• Ultrasound of the mammary glands;
• Consultation with a geneticist (detection of gene mutations, karyotyping to exclude possible hereditary diseases or genetic disorders);
• Cytological examination of the cervix;
• A visit to a general practitioner and his conclusion about the absence of contraindications to surgery;
• Checking the endocrine system if necessary.

Based on the results of the examination, the doctor makes a conclusion whether the woman will be able to participate in the program and whether the procedure will not cause too much stress on her body. 

7. After passing the medical screening, a bilateral agreement is concluded, where lawyers prescribe every aspect of the donation program. The girl also signs a voluntary consent to perform ovarian stimulation, puncture of ovarian follicles, anesthesia and the use of oocytes for other patients.

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Then the candidate is brought into a closed database, access to which only agency employees have. Potential parents will be able to view the candidate’s profile (information about the girl and her photographs). When there is a family that would like to receive donor oocytes, the basic preparation for the program begins.

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How the egg donation procedure works

• The first stage is hormonal therapy. It temporarily suppresses ovulation and stimulates the growth of more oocytes (usually one egg matures in the female body every month). Medicines are available in the form of injections, which the donor administers to himself for 8-14 days (sometimes up to three weeks).
  Every few days, the girl goes for an ultrasound and takes a blood test so that the doctor can monitor the size and number of follicles, the condition of the ovaries, the donor’s response to medications, as well as adjust the dose of hormones and the duration of therapy. When the oocytes mature, the donor is given a final injection to facilitate the release of the eggs from the follicles.
  
  
• The day of puncture arrives - the removal of eggs from the donor's ovaries. The operation is performed in a hospital, most often under short-term general anesthesia. The doctor inserts a thin needle through the vaginal wall into the follicles and uses it to collect the eggs. On average, 12 oocytes can be obtained per puncture, from which up to 10 viable embryos can be cultured. Two of them can be of high quality and this will be enough for two good embryo transfers. The procedure takes about 15-30 minutes and is safe and painless.
  
  After the puncture, the girl rests in the ward under the supervision of an anesthesiologist, receives the necessary recommendations from a reproductive specialist and after one or two hours can go home - preferably by taxi or with an accompanying person.
  
  
• Usually the donor returns to his normal daily routine within 24 hours after surgery. Sometimes recovery requires several days of limited physical activity.

< h2 id="">How many times can you become an egg donor

The legislation of the Russian Federation does not indicate how many times you can participate in the program. Nevertheless, for a woman’s safety, reproductive specialists recommend becoming a donor no more than six times. ISA Fertility Agency limits participation in the program to four times in order to guarantee the health and fertility of those participating in the program. 

How much do oocyte donors get paid

All depends on the clinic and geography - in Moscow and St. Petersburg they pay more, in the regions - less. In general, prices vary from 40 to 80 thousand rubles. The ISA Fertility agency offers women a worthy reward for their work - for the first donation the fee is 70 thousand rubles, and the next time - 85 thousand rubles.
Egg donation is an incredibly brave and generous act and a huge step towards ensuring that people who They are really looking forward to a child, they have become parents.  The mission of the ISA Fertility agency is to find the best oocyte donor for the family and provide the donor girl with maximum safety and comfort. We will be honored to cooperate with you and we are very much looking forward to your application< /a>to help someone meet their long-awaited baby together.