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Egg donation has become one of the most practical solutions for women who are having problems with fertility. If you are one of those women who face challenges with fertility, it would be beneficial to take time to understand the basics about egg donation.

When defined, egg donation refers to the process in which females donate their eggs to other women in line with the aim of helping them with their problem of fertilization. There are cases when the women who donate eggs are given money in exchange for their eggs. While in some cases, friends or relatives get involve in egg donation.

Kinds of Egg Donors

Basically, egg donors can be classified into three main categories: IVF, undesignated, and designated.

The IVF donors refer to those women who undergo a scientific process in which the eggs are fertilized by a partner’s sperm outside her body. The eggs that would not be used in the process can be donated to other people who need it after the eggs have been taken out of her body.

The undesignated donors, meanwhile, refer anonymous and unrelated donors of the recipient. Some of them go to egg donation clinics for monetary rewards.

Lastly, the designated donors are either relatives or friends of the woman in need of the cells.

Egg Donation Requirements

Not all women can be allowed to donate eggs. There is a set of requirements that are reviewed before one can be allowed to do so. Most clinics require the donors to be between 21 and 30 years old with no medical problems. The medical background of the donor’s family would be checked as well since this could be a factor for certain illnesses and diseases. In some clinics, educational degree may also be a factor to be considered. Donors need to pass through a series of medical tests including drug test, infectious disease test, and psychological test.

The Process

After you pass a screening test that is used to determine if you are fit to donate or not and you are considered prepared and qualified to be a donor, a contract would be drafted. The contract would contain the terms and conditions of the egg donation process. After the contract has been signed, the donor would have to be matched with the egg recipient.

After the matching process, birth control pills would be used to synchronize your cycles. After taking the pills, a series of injections could be given as a supplement to the birth control pills. The injections would be administered for about one to three weeks depending on the case of the donor and recipient. After the stage of the injections, hormones would be given in order to help the mature eggs. The eggs can be retrieved after the follicles have manifested. The retrieval process would only take about 30 minutes in which the eggs would be retrieved under light general anesthesia.

In removing the egg follicles out of the ovaries, a small needel would be used as guided by ultrasound inside the vagina. The donor needs to rest for about one to two hours after the procedure.

Costs Involved

If you are the donor, you do not have to pay anything. In some cases, the donors can be paid by the recipient in exchange for the eggs. Meanwhile, the recipient is expected to pay for the costs of the whole procedure. The legal and transport costs of the process should also be shouldered by the recipient. The average rate for a donation procedure may reach around $10,000. However, for those who have IVF donors, the costs may be less.

You can always ask a gynecologist on the exact details of the egg donation process. This is yet one of the most helpful medical breakthroughs that many couples who have fertility issues have depended on. And with proper precautions, the procedures have yielded positive results.