Who donates eggs to help other people grow their families? They are young women who see themselves as being part of a process that will make a meaningful impact on others’ lives. They are conscientious, have researched the process, and understand the commitment required for egg donation. Does that sound like you? Our teams in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, MA, and New York City, many of whom are experienced egg donors themselves, can determine if you meet the requirements to donate eggs and, if so, help guide you through the process.
What are requirements to donate eggs?
Before going through a screening process, we check to make sure potential egg donors meet the qualifications. These egg donor requirements help ensure a positive experience and a healthy baby, in addition to following guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
To qualify as an egg donor with Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation, you must:
- Be 21 to 29 (up to 31 for experienced donors)
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no more than 29 (Click to find out your BMI)
- Be a U.S. or Canadian citizen
- Have no more than 1 cancer diagnosis in your family history (except non-genetic cancers, such as leukemia and lung cancer)
- Not have a family history that includes serious heart disease or family members who suffered heart attacks before turning 55
- Not have been hospitalized for a psychiatric condition
- Be comfortable with giving yourself daily injections with small needles, like those used for insulin
- Have some post-high school education (enrolled in college, college classes, certification programs, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, Ph.D., etc.)
Egg donors can be of any racial and ethnic background. They should also be prepared to travel twice to the intended parents’ fertility clinic: a short trip for a medical screening and then a longer trip (3-7 days) for the egg retrieval. (All expenses are paid by the intended parents and it’s a great way to visit new cities!)
How Do I Find Egg Donation Near Me?
The wonderful thing about egg donation is that you can live anywhere in the United States and still donate your eggs! When you apply to be an egg donor and you are matched with intended parents, you will be required to travel to wherever the parents’ clinic is located. All of your travel is paid for, and you get to experience a new city! That’s why it doesn’t matter where your egg donation agency is located, because all of your communication will be done via email/text/video calls, and you never have to go there in person!
Questions Potential Egg Donors Often Ask
Why do you require egg donors to have a BMI that’s lower than 29?
Women with elevated BMIs face a higher risk to their health, and the quality of the donor eggs may be lower. An important part of the egg donor process is injecting medication that boosts the ability of the ovaries to produce more eggs. Higher doses are often needed for donors with body mass indexes greater than 29, which can pose a health risk. Our BMI requirements are not meant to give an indication of how healthy you are, as many women are healthy with a BMI out of our range. The BMI limits are set by fertility clinics as the standard for the best results during an IVF cycle.
How often will I need to give myself shots?
Egg donors administer injections daily for about 21 days during the process. The exact number varies based on the clinic’s protocol and your body’s response to the medications. Ultrasounds are scheduled during this time to evaluate how you’re responding to the medications. Don’t worry – they are small needles!
Will I know the parents who use my eggs?
We encourage “known egg donation”—when the intended parents can meet you and be better acquainted with you as a person. Knowing who you are helping can help make the process even more fulfilling. Same-sex couples using surrogacy to grow their families often prefer known donors so they can honestly share the child’s birth story and dispel any mystery in the future. Semi-anonymous, anonymous and ID Release egg donations are possible as well. Check out our related blog post for tips on deciding which type of egg donation is right for you.
How do you screen potential egg donors?
All donor applicants who meet our requirements for donation will first complete a pre-screening interview with our intake coordinator (who is also an experienced donor). Once selected by intended parents, a licensed clinical social worker screens egg donors who are matching through Circle Surrogacy. We really want to learn about our egg donors and make sure they’re committed to the donation process. Egg donors are compensated, but money is not the only reason women become egg donors. We also give applicants standardized psychological tests to identify potential illnesses, emotional problems, or personality disorders.
How to become an egg donor?
If you’ve been thinking about becoming an egg donor, the first step is submitting an application. When we receive your application, the team at Circle Surrogacy will immediately begin the process that could lead to fulfilling a dream of helping other people grow their families.
To see more content about egg donation at Circle Surrogacy and Egg Donation, follow us on TikTok where we share fun updates about our egg donor program!