Who can become an Egg Donor with AFC Fertility?

Women who join our AFC Egg Donor Program are healthy, responsible females between the ages of 20 and 29. Egg Donors must have regular monthly periods (unless you have an IUD). If you have an IUD or use other forms of oral contraceptive, you can apply to be an egg donor at any time. If you use the injection or arm implant form of contraceptive, you would need to stop that method and have two normal periods before you can be a donor. It’s important that you do not use Nicotine or drugs, which includes marijuana. You will need reliable transportation for traveling to and from the clinic for time-sensitive appointments. You will need to be willing to administer numerous injections of medication on a strict schedule. You will have take a psychological test and meet with our counselor to ensure you are comfortable with being an egg donor.

How long is the Egg Donor process?

We try our best to make the egg donor application and screening process exciting and informative for our applicants. Because there is a great deal of information that needs to be collected and reviewed, the process can take several weeks before you are officially accepted into the program. However, during that time you are working with our team and learning a great deal about not only yourself but your family and genetics as well.  Once approved you will either be added to the donor database or cycle for the egg bank.  There is a planning period in which you will work with one of our Donor Navigators to plan out your cycle. When ready, the egg donor cycle itself will last approximately four weeks.

What are the possible side effects of egg donation?

When completing an egg donation cycle side effects vary from person to person. Some women experience minor to no discomfort others are more greatly impacted by the process. A very small percentage (less than 10%) may have irritation at the injection site, headaches, bloating, mood changes, nausea or rarely vomiting. The medications are taken for an average of 8-12 days. The symptoms generally stop within one to two weeks of stopping the medications. Other more rare side effects are infection, bleeding, and Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS). Let’s talk about each of those risks:

To lower your risk of infection, you will be treated immediately after your retrieval (minor surgery) with an antibiotic. A serious infection could affect your ability to become pregnant in the future. However, less than 1% of women experience a serious infection during the egg donation aspiration.

You may experience a very small amount of bleeding from your egg retrieval surgery (a tablespoon at most). The chance of significant bleeding is extremely small, less than 1% (1 in 100). The risk of possibly damaging pelvic organs during your retrieval is even lower.

Some women who receive medication to stimulate the ovaries develop swelling of the ovaries and fluid collection in the abdominal cavity within a few days after the egg collection. This generally resolves during the following week. Our physicians carefully monitor your response to the medications through blood tests and ultrasounds to prevent a very rare complication of the medications called Ovarian Hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). OHSS is an increase in fluid collection in the abdomen that may require treatment after the retrieval. The risk of having serious complications due to OHSS is less than 1%. At Pinnacle Fertility the egg donor medication regimen is designed to minimize the risks of OHSS.

Will donating my eggs affect my ability to have children in the future?

Donating your eggs will not affect your ability to have children in the future. You were born with more than 400,000 eggs – less than 500 will be released by the ovaries during your childbearing years. The remaining eggs undergo a process called “atresia”, where they fail to mature and are gradually absorbed by the body during the time between puberty and menopause. Because of the large number of “spare eggs”, there is no evidence to suggest that the use of fertility drugs or egg donation will decrease the egg reserve to lead to early menopause or infertility.