Requirements for Becoming an Egg Donor

While compensation is the most obvious perk of egg donation, other notable benefits include the feelings of satisfaction arising from this contribution and the knowledge that lives are positively impacted as a result of such a precious gift.

Yet, being altruistic and warm-hearted is not enough to qualify you to become an egg donor; there is a set of set of physical, mental, health, geographic and legal requirements.

Fertility clinics and agencies conduct intensive and thorough screening before a woman is able to their programs. These egg donor requirements are necessary to ensure a positive experience and a healthy baby but are also part of the guidelines set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA oversees all donor tissue programs (including donor eggs) and requires clinics and agencies to ask very specific questions about personal and family medical histories, sexual history, and other health & lifestyle related activities as part of the egg donor qualification process.

Here is a general overview of the most common requirements for being accepted into an egg donor program. Applicants will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

• 🙋‍♀️ Be between the ages of 21 and 29 years old (some programs extend age ranges to include donors as young as 18 - early 30’s).
• 🍎 Be in good health, physically and emotionally
• ⚖️ Have a BMI between 19 and 28 (being overweight or underweight can affect egg quality however, programs vary on acceptable ranges) Calculate your BMI here
• 🧬 Have medical history with free from multiple family members with serious cancer, heart disease, substance abuse, and psychiatric issues
• 🚭 Have no nicotine or other recreational drug usage (legal or otherwise—urine toxicology tests will be completed during the screening process)
• ✈️ Have NOT travelled to a country or countries affected by the Zika virus in the last 6 months
• 🩺 Be willing to undergo a medical and psychological evaluation
• 💉 Be willing to take injectable medication
• 🦠 Be free from sexually transmitted diseases within the last year
• 🕗 Be available for approximately 5-10 early morning appointments (you may need to travel for 5 to 8 days if your IVF center is very far from your home or out of state)
• 📝 Have the medical history available for your biological parents, siblings and grandparents
• 🔍 Be willing to answer all questions completely and honestly.

Most heterosexual Intended Parents have struggled with infertility for years before contemplating egg donation or they are a member of the LGBTQ community who realizes they require the help of an egg donor (and surrogate) in order to achieve their dreams of having children and building their precious family. Therefore, it is paramount for programs to fully vet egg donors – and for egg donor applicants to be 100% committed to the journey before accepting this pivotal and life-changing role. The gift of egg donation is priceless beyond measure.

Jenna Lake

Jenna Lake is co-founder of EDC Nexus, a unique registry developed to support Intended Parents, Egg Donors and Donor-Conceived Offspring — identified or de-identified — through a private online database providing medical updates and a mode of communication.

First and foremost, Jenna is the proud mother to a teenage, egg donor-conceived son. Her journey through third party reproduction directly launched a 15+ year career overseeing one of the largest clinic-led egg donor programs in the United States. After matching more than 3,000 cycles, and witnessing the ever-increasing demand for donor-conceived families to connect with their genetic and biological stories (and donors to stay informed of their contribution), Jenna helped to create a secure means of exchanging vital information and ensuring greater peace-of-mind on many fronts.

Currently, Jenna also serves as Operations Manager at Egg Donor Connect. She is a past board member of Parents via Egg Donation, former consultant for a surrogate agency, and the author of several articles focusing on Egg Donors and Intended Parents. Jenna can be reached through her LinkedIn profile, or via email at jenna@eggdonorconnect.com or coordinators@edcnexus.com.

Related Becoming an Egg Donor Articles to Guide Your Journey

“Honesty is the Best Policy” - 7 Reasons to be Truthful as an Egg Donor

For both prospective parents and donors, egg donation is an amazing journey filled with emotions and expectations. However, it is essential to recognize that this path relies heavily on trust and honesty. Being truthful on an egg donor application – and during the screening process – helps to solidify the health, safety, and mental well-being of everyone. In this blog, we will explore important reasons why an egg donor should be as transparent and forthright as possible every step of the way.

The Process of Becoming an Egg Donor: A Step By Step Guide

When considering if you should become an egg donor, our step-by-step guide will help you understand how this all comes together. While it's worth mentioning that every program differs with respect to their acceptance criteria, testing requirements, and matching times, the process is similar enough that you'll have an overview of what takes place from your initial inquiry to your egg retrieval (and beyond).

8 Questions for Egg Donors to Ask A Clinic or Agency

Are you applying to be an Egg Donor? 8 Questions you – as the applicant – should ask an Egg Donor Program.

The Egg Donor's Guide to Getting Your Donor Application Accepted

So you're thinking about becoming an egg donor…you’ve conducted research, identified the right fertility clinic where you can donate your eggs and help Intended Parents build their families. You've been access to their full online application only to feel suddenly overwhelmed with the amount of information needed & time required to complete your profile.