Egg Donation Myths
How much do you know about egg donation?
Plenty of egg donation myths exist, and it can be confusing to figure out what is fact and what is fiction. We’ve written up this guide to help clear up common misconceptions about egg donation. How many of these egg donation myths have you heard?
Myth #1: Anyone Can Donate Their Eggs
Egg donation is a complex medical process that involves sharing genetic material to (hopefully) develop into a whole new person. Understandably, there are some specific requirements involved to make sure the experience is safe for the donor, the intended parents, and the donor-conceived child.
These requirements are set by federal and state laws and each individual clinic, bank, or agency’s policies. Generally, donors must be in good physical, medical, and mental health, with no family history of serious illness. Beyond that, donation facilities may look for additional characteristics in donors, such as higher education. You can read our list of donor requirements here.
Myth #2: Donating Eggs Reduces Your Egg Supply
It’s fairly common knowledge that women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever produce. So, you may think that donating eggs means giving away eggs that you could later use to get pregnant, right? No! During an average menstrual cycle, the ovaries start to develop between 15-20 eggs. However, usually only one of those eggs matures and has the potential to get fertilized. The rest of the eggs stop developing and are absorbed back into the body.
Egg donors take medications that encourage their ovaries to continue developing all of the eggs during a menstrual cycle. Once the eggs have matured, they are then retrieved through a simple procedure. Despite the myth, this means that egg donation doesn’t “take away” eggs from your overall egg supply. Instead, it simply develops and retrieves eggs that would otherwise disappear.
Myth #3: Donating Can Lead to Problems With Your Future Fertility
Current studies don’t show any evidence that egg donation leads to any long-term issues such as infertility. Egg donation has been around for decades, and plenty of egg donors go on to have children of their own.
Myth #4: You Can Donate As Many Times As You Want
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends that each donor goes through no more than six donation cycles total in their lifetime. Most donation facilities follow those guidelines. While, as noted, we have no evidence that egg donation causes long-term problems, limiting the total number of donation cycles offers an additional layer of protection against any effects from repeated donation.
Myth #5: Egg Donors Are Motivated by Money
Egg donors do receive compensation for their time and effort during the donation process. However, money is never their primary motivation. Donating your eggs is a significant decision, both physically and emotionally. The interview process for all egg donors involves a psychological evaluation to assess their understanding of and motivations for the process. Candidates who are simply looking for compensation are not qualified to become donors. Instead, egg donors are motivated by the desire to help someone else build a family.
Egg Donation at Eggceptional Fertility Is Safe, Convenient, and Rewarding
In the end, egg donation is a generous act of service to help another family’s dreams come true. While there is effort and time involved, qualified candidates can donate their eggs without long-term harm to their own health or fertility. After donating, you can know that you have made a meaningful difference in another family’s life. We are happy to debunk myths and misunderstandings about the egg donation process. If you have questions, reach out to us today.
