Surprising Factors That Can Disqualify an Egg Donor Candidate

For many women between the ages of 21 and 31, the idea of helping someone create a family by becoming an egg donor is an exciting possibility. While it’s easy to assume that compensation is the biggest draw, for many egg donors there is a genuine joy that comes with being part of someone else’s story.

However, not all women are qualified to become egg donors. To be considered, egg donor candidates must satisfy a barrage of requirements, some of which are set forth by the federal government. For example, the FDA requires that donor eggs, just like any other donor tissue, be screened for several infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis.

These are not the only requirements that can potentially disqualify an egg donor candidate. In addition to government regulations, egg donor agencies typically have their own sets of strict requirements that egg donor candidates must meet in order to qualify. These requirements are in place to protect everyone involved in the process: the intended parents, the baby, and the egg donor. While some requirements, such as being a nonsmoker or being physically healthy, are pretty self-explanatory, some requirements may surprise you.

Choice of Contraception
Egg donor candidates are sometimes surprised to find out that certain birth control methods, such as Depo-Provera or contraceptive implants, disqualify them from being an egg donor. These types of birth control interfere with hormone levels and ovulation, thus making them off-limits when donating eggs. If you are using these forms of birth control but still want to donate your eggs, you would need to switch to different birth control and wait a few months while your hormone balance normalizes.

Willingness to Take Injections
To prepare for egg retrieval, an egg donor must inject herself with three different hormonal medications:

• One that prevents ovulation
• One that triggers the production of follicles and eggs
• One that matures the eggs and induces ovulation

Although the injections are easy to self-administer and use very small needles that cause minimal discomfort to most, some people are simply unable to tolerate needles. If you’re unable or unwilling to take injections, it will disqualify you from being an egg donor.

Schedule
Being an egg donor requires a significant commitment of time. When you are chosen by intended parents to be their egg donor, you’re required to synchronize your menstrual cycle, attend appointments, and go through the procedure according to their timeline. If your schedule doesn’t allow for this type of commitment, being an egg donor may not be right for you. However, there is still the option of donating your eggs to a frozen egg bank, which allows you to cycle on your own timeline.

Learn More About Becoming an Egg Donor
If you’re ready to help someone build their family and think you qualify to be an egg donor, contact Egg Donor America to learn more.