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Egg donation at TFP Fertility UK
Donating your eggs is an incredibly selfless act that has many rewards, but it’s also an important decision that requires a lot of thought.
Here’s information on all the steps involved in egg donation and how we’ll support you from your first consultation.
Prefer to talk to someone directly?
Fill out our contact form requesting a call back and one of our egg donation team will be in touch with more information and to answer your questions.
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What is egg donation?
Egg donation is when a woman has healthy eggs collected from her ovaries which are then used to support someone else’s fertility treatment.
Another woman may need eggs for a range of reasons, including:
Fertility problems
Poor egg quality due to age
Early menopause
Cancer treatment has affected fertility
Not wanting to pass on genetic conditions to their children
FAQs
Why do people donate eggs?
There are many reasons why women choose to donate eggs, including:
The pleasure of helping someone you don’t know have a much longed for baby
Helping a family member or friend who is unable to use their own eggs
Each year at TFP Fertility we help so many people who couldn’t otherwise conceive and see first-hand what an incredible difference egg donation makes.
Donating your eggs is a big undertaking and we’re extremely grateful to those who choose to do this. Our priority is you and your wellbeing.
Who can donate eggs?
AT TFP Fertility UK, we have the following criteria for women who wish to donate eggs. However, we’ll always speak to each person individually to see if they’re a suitable donor.
To become an egg donor, you need to:
Be aged 21 to 35 (although we may accept eggs donated by an older woman in exceptional circumstances, such as eggs being donated to a family member)
Have a body mass index of between 18 and 35
Be a non-smoker for at least three months, including e-cigarettes
Not have any serious illnesses or infections that could be passed on to a baby or mother
Be able to share your full medical history and those of your immediate biological family, including your parents, siblings, children, and grandparents
It’s also important to know that if you wish to be an egg donor, you’ll need to:
Inject yourself with fertility drugs to stimulate your ovaries.
Attend appointments at your local TFP Fertility UK clinic – something which is likely to affect your daily routine for a short period.
Once you’ve started stimulatory medication, you’ll need to attend every other morning for an internal scan and bloods test to determine when you’re ready for egg collection.
Between three and five appointments will be needed for this.
Attend fertility counselling to help you fully understand what it means to donate your eggs, and the impact it may have on you and your family in the future.
Will I get paid to donate my eggs?
In the UK, it’s illegal to pay for egg donation, but egg donors can receive up to £750 to cover costs incurred during one complete donation cycle.
You may be able to claim for more than this to cover costs like accommodation, travel, and childcare, but receipts will need to be provided.
If you’re from overseas and not a permanent resident in the UK, you will be compensated in the same way. But it’s important to note that you can’t claim for overseas travel expenses.
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Have you got questions?
We’re here to help. Whatever your concerns, our team will take the time to understand and answer any questions you have about becoming a donor.
What is the egg donation process?
If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor, your journey with TFP Fertility UK will typically follow these key steps:
1. Pre-consultation call
Please use our online application form to let us know that you’re interested in becoming an egg donor, and we’ll send you a donor info pack and questionnaire.
If you are accepted as a potential donor, a member of our team with then call you to book in your first consultation appointment and give you time to ask any questions you may have.
2. Initial testing and consultation
At this appointment, you’ll have an AMH blood test and internal scan.
The blood test gives an idea of your ‘ovarian reserve’, the number of eggs you have, and this determines the medication that will be required.
The internal scan can be carried out at any stage of the menstrual cycle and looks at the number of follicles on the ovaries.
We compare this to the stage of your cycle to ensure everything is functioning as it should.
You will not be screened genetically until we have carried out this preliminary test and have spoken with the doctor about the results.
Your consultant will ask you about your family medical history.
They’ll also provide you with detailed information about the medication and procedures used to collect your eggs.
3. Genetic and infection screening
Once we have the results of your tests, we’ll let you know as soon as possible whether you’re a suitable egg donor.
We’ll then carry out some further screening tests
4. Fertility counselling
Before you start your treatment, we’ll require you to speak one of our expert counsellors.
Counselling helps you fully explore how egg donation may affect you now and in the future.
5. Consent appointment
At this appointment, legalities and process are discussed so you’re fully informed.
It also allows you to place any restrictions on your donations, for example there are regulations about how many of your eggs can be used in total, and for each family.
6. Fertility drugs consultation
One of our fertility nurses will show you how to inject yourself with fertility drugs to stimulate your ovaries.
You can also ask your nurse any questions you may have.
This is usually covered during the consent appointment, but that can sometimes take place well before the treatment commences, so we reiterate the injection technique instructions when you’re ready to start.
7. Starting treatment
Firstly, you’ll use medication to supress your menstrual cycle.
Then, around two weeks later, you’ll use medication to boost your egg production.
We’ll scan you regularly to check how your eggs are doing and decide when they should be collected.
One or two days before collection, you’ll use medication to help your eggs mature so they can be retrieved from your ovaries.
8. Egg retrieval
At your local TFP Fertility clinic, you’ll be sedated to ensure you feel no pain or discomfort during egg collection.
Then a needle will be gently guided through the vaginal wall and used to capture your eggs, one by one, under the guidance of ultrasound.
The whole process takes about 15 minutes.
Afterwards, you may feel a little bit tender or bruised. We’ll give you pain medication as required to ease any discomfort.
9. Sign off
You’re now a TFP Fertility donor!
You’ll receive your expenses, and your non-identifying donor characteristics will be available to recipients so you can help to create new families.
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Contact us today
If you have any questions or would like to discuss how to become an egg donor, please complete our online application form below.
Your anonymity and legal rights
How often can I donate my eggs?
You can donate eggs as many times you want.
But legally, your donated eggs cannot be used to create more than 10 families.
Once this limit is reached, you won’t be able to donate any more eggs.
Can I find out about the children who resulted from my donated eggs?
You won’t be made aware who has received your eggs but understandably you may want to find out if your egg donation has helped someone have a child.
You can contact your clinic directly or ask for the following information from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA):
Number of children born
Gender(s)
Year(s) of birth
You won’t be given any information that could reveal the identity of the child/children.
Can children born from my eggs contact me?
Children born through egg donation can obtain non-identifying information about their donor at the age of 16 and identifying information at the age of 18.
They may only obtain identifying information at 16 if they’re getting married so need to know.
At 18, they can obtain last known contact details (email, phone number, and address) but it’s up to the donor to update HFEA if any of these details change.
What legal responsibilities or rights do I have as an egg donor?
In the UK, you have no legal rights over or responsibilities to any children born from the eggs you donate.
You’ll have no say over how they’re raised or pay anything towards their upbringing.
You can retract your wish to donate at any stage up until donation has taken place should you change your mind.
Egg donor application
Simply fill in the following form to apply to become an egg donor.
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