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 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.
Are You Qualified to Be an Egg Donor?
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, you must:
- Be 21 to 29 (up to 31 for experienced donors)
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no more than 29
- 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.
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.
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.
Will I know the parents who use my eggs?
Anonymous egg donations are possible, but we encourage “known egg donation”—when the intended parents can meet you and be better acquainted with you as a person. 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. Check out our related blog post for tips on deciding whether known, semi-known, or anonymous 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 she’s 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.
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!