Why More Women Are Donating Their Eggs
Real women tell Women’s Health what it was like to give their DNA to a couple in need. Shady Grove Fertility Egg Donor, Abby shares her experience with egg donation.
What is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is the process whereby a woman, after medical and psychological pre-screening, is given medications to help her develop multiple ovarian follicles, containing eggs (oocytes). Normally, a woman matures one egg a month but with medication, several follicles can be induced to grow and mature. Next, while the donor is under gentle sedation the eggs are painlessly retrieved. The eggs retrieved are then donated to a recipient. The egg donation process, beginning with an in-depth screening process, being selected by a recipient, and finishing after undergoing IVF treatment, can take anywhere from 3-6 months.
More about the egg donation process
Do We Need Egg Donors?
Donor egg is a necessary and very effective treatment when a woman’s own fertility is compromised due to poor egg quality. Shady Grove Fertility has strict standards for the women eligible to become an egg donor. “We only accept about 3% of applicants, so about 97% of women that apply are not going to qualify,” says Donor Egg & Gestation Carrier Program Manager, Michele Purcell, RN, BSN.
According to the Journal of American Medical Association, the number of egg donors has increased by about 70% from 2000 to 2010. This growth could be the result of improved IVF technologies, but it could also be the result of more women and couples needing donor egg to achieve pregnancy, increasing the demand for egg donors.
Who Are the Egg Donors, and Why Do They Donate?
Some argue that the compensation egg donors receive for their time and commitment to the program may be the influencing factor for women who choose to donate their eggs. At Shady Grove Fertility, an egg donor receives $7,000 after completing 1 cycle of donation. However, for Abby, a Shady Grove Fertility Egg Donor, donating just for compensation, was not the case.
At the age of 20, back during her college years, Abby had heard about egg donation and initially was interested in a little cash, but ultimately realized that she wouldn’t be doing it for the right reasons. According to Abby, egg donation is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. She views egg donation as an enormous gift that she is lucky to give. Like many of our egg donors, Abby believes the reward of helping someone achieve the dream of starting a family outweighs the idea of undergoing a medical procedure. Now at the age of 27 and out of college, Abby has completed the egg donation process 3 times at Shady Grove Fertility.
Read the full Women’s Health article: Why More Women Are Donating Their Eggs
Women interested in becoming an egg donor, click here or please call 301-545-1316 to learn more.
