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I am an Egg Donor

We will support you with information you need to help you make right decisions.

We will support you with information you need to help you make right decisions.

As an egg donor, your generous gift may give somebody the chance to start a family. There are many ways of becoming an egg donor, and it is a rigorous process involving fertility clinic appointments and numerous counselling sessions.

Before you become a donor, it is important to consider your motivations for donating, expectations for future contact with the parents or offspring, emotional and practical implications of donating, and the physical process of donating. It can be useful to discuss your motivations and decision with family, friends, or a counsellor.

Information

How do I donate?

Egg donation can happen in the following ways: known donors, clinic-recruited donors, I.D. release donors and anonymous donation. In Australia, the law for egg donation is I.D. release when the resultant child turns eighteen, unless a known donor is used. Overseas clinics may have differing laws surrounding this, but egg donation is usually anonymous, and the recipient is often financially compensated for their donation.

In Australia it is illegal to receive payment beyond reasonable compensation, such as covering the cost of medical treatment for donating eggs.

Many families ask a friend or relative to donate eggs. Others advertise on social media. There are egg donation websites that can help you match up with the right recipient.

Understand the Process

While your fertility specialist will tailor your treatment to you, the process of donating eggs is similar to the first stage of an IVF cycle and normally involves:

  • Injections to stimulate your ovaries to produce more eggs than you usually would during a menstrual cycle.
  • Blood tests and vaginal (internal) ultrasounds to monitor the egg development.
  • An egg collection procedure. This is usually performed under a light anaesthetic in a hospital and takes approximately twenty minutes.

The risks in egg donation include a small risk of making too many eggs (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome), infection, and bleeding. There is no guarantee the person you donate to will become pregnant and she may experience a miscarriage.

Information

Have Children Been Born from My Donation?

Naturally, you may be curious to know whether children have been born following your donation, and if so, how many, their age, and their gender. You may also be wondering if they resemble you or share personality traits with you.

You can apply for non-identifying information about your donor offspring from the clinic you donated at, or various donor registries in Australia and worldwide. There are also Facebook groups for matching donors with recipients and vice versa. Your clinic will provide the total number offspring born to each person treated, and each offspring’s gender at birth and year of birth.

You are not the legal parent of any child born, and do not appear on your donor offspring’s birth certificate. You are not responsible for maintenance or any financial assistance towards your donor offspring. Your donor offspring do not have a legal claim on your estate.

Your donor offspring, their parents and descendants can also apply for non-identifying information. The information that you provided at the time of consenting to treatment (including background information, interests, medical information) will be provided to the applicant.

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We’re Here to Support You

As an egg donor you may be interested in any changes to national and state legislations regarding egg donation, or simply would like to be a part of a community. You can join our Facebook group where you can connect with others and stay up to date on ART.