Unlike Sperm, Eggs Are Only Donated ‘On Demand’
Sperm donors get paid for their deposits, but they have no guarantee that their sperm will be used by anyone. This is because sperm is abundant, easy to produce, and inexpensive to store. On the other hand, becoming an egg donor is a more rigorous process that involves medical and psychological testing to ensure suitability for donation. After being added to a database with personal information, you must wait for a prospective parent to select you. However, there is no guarantee that you will ever be chosen or receive payment. Anonymous egg donation is not suitable for those who fear rejection.
Egg Donation Is a Big Time Commitment
When it comes to sperm donation, it can be a quick and easy process that takes only a short amount of time. However, egg donation is not as simple as having a surplus of eggs readily available. Women who wish to donate their eggs must undergo physical preparation, which involves taking medication for approximately six weeks.
Women don’t donate eggs to get rich.
They usually do it to help infertile couples in the process. While generous compensation can make a big difference for a young egg donor just starting out, money alone isn’t enough to motivate most young women.
The number of eggs you need to donate
In an average egg donation cycle, you’ll donate between 15 and 20 eggs. That’s about the number of potential eggs your ovaries start to mature each month, although in a natural cycle, only one usually makes it all the way to ovulation. When you donate your eggs, the fertility medications you take help your body bring all of those potential eggs to maturity. You won’t donate any more eggs than you would have lost anyway in a normal ovulation cycle!
There are various tests and medical exams that a donor must go through
The donor is tested for infections such as HIV, Hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis. All donors should be tested to be sure that they are not carriers of the cystic fibrosis gene. Other genetic testing should be performed based on the donor’s history and ethnic background. Some programs perform chromosome analysis and test for Fragile X syndrome; however, this testing is not required. Psychometric testing is often done as part of the mental health screening.