Egg donation is usually done when the woman’s eggs are of poor quality and conventional IVF will not succeed. This is a common problem since it has become normal to delay childbearing in modern society. Egg donation may also be done as part of a surrogacy treatment.

Egg donation is a type of IVF (test tube baby). The recipient of the eggs has hormone pills and injections to prepare the lining of the uterus (womb) prior to insertion of the embryos. The eggs are obtained from a donor who undergoes stimulation to grow eggs and then has them extracted in theatre .

The eggs are fertilized and then transferred into the recipients uterus (womb) 3-5 days after collection. A pregnancy test is performed 10 days after the transfer.

The egg donors are young women (aged 21-35) who go through extensive evaluation prior to becoming a donor. They complete a detailed questionnaire detailing their medical and family history. They also have a full gynaecological evaluation and psychological assessment by a clinical psychologist. They all have the following blood tests performed – HIV, RPR (for syphilis) and Hepatitis B and C serology. Additional tests may also be requested by the recipients.

Information regarding the donors ie. age, physical characteristics, occupation and hobbies and personality can be used to help choose the appropriate donor.