Egg Donation

Egg donation is a voluntary and supportive act that is done anonymously to help couples and single women realize their dream of becoming parents. 

Egg donation is an assisted reproduction technique in which an egg donor is sought to fertilize the eggs with the seminal sample of the recipient couple or an anonymous sperm donor. This is done in cases in which the recipient woman has a low ovarian reserve and, therefore, an egg donor must be used. 

The treatment procedure begins with the search for an egg donor who phenotypically, physically, resembles the recipient. Once a suitable donor has been chosen, ovarian stimulation is initiated to schedule the egg retrieval.

The ovarian puncture is the extraction of eggs and that same day the seminal sample is taken to fertilize the eggs fresh in the laboratory. 

Once the embryos are obtained, they are vitrified and the recipient woman’s endometrium is prepared for cryotransfer. And, 2 weeks later, a beta blood test is performed to know the result of the treatment.

In the case of using a donor, genetic compatibility test is also offered. Through a test, the egg donor and the man who gives the seminal sample are studied to know if they share any recessive genetic disease. A donor who is genetically compatible with the male partner is always assigned.

Ovodonation is recommended if the couple has undergone several failed IVF cycles or if they have hereditary diseases that they want to avoid passing on to the next generation. It is also a possibility for single women who are ready to become mothers and can obtain a double donation: eggs and sperm.

Frequently asked questions

  • How is the donor chosen? The donor undergoes a number of gynecological, psychological and genetic studies to determine whether or not she is suitable for the donation. If she is suitable, the donation process begins. A donor is always assigned who is compatible in terms of phenotypic characteristics, such as skin color, eye color, hair color and type, and height. 
  • Can I know who the egg donor is? No. This is a totally anonymous process and the selection is done by the medical team.
  • How old can the donor be? She cannot be older than 35 years old. This is because this is the moment in which, statistically, the ovarian reserve begins to decrease.