Should I donate my eggs?

Who are the very special women who donate their eggs to offer hope to someone desperate to conceive?

The truth is – they are women just like you. They are working, they are studying, they are looking after families. They come from all walks of life from across the UK.

In this country, donors must simply be non-smokers, between 18 and 35 years old, in good health, with a BMI under 30. If you fit these criteria and have a clear medical history with no genetic or hereditary disorders, then you’re a potential donor.

Are there enough donors?

There is huge demand for donor eggs. While donors are still in short supply, more and more young women are choosing to donate. But, there are still not enough women coming forward to provide the eggs needed to treat people suffering with infertility. Those waiting for donor eggs include women with low egg reserve and those who cannot produce eggs of their own because they have had lifesaving treatment for cancer or other serious illnesses, as well as same sex male couples. For these people, a donor egg is their only hope of conceiving.

Who is donating?

For many women and couples, finding a donor who shares some physical similarities with them is really important – whether in height and weight, or ethnicity, hair type and eye colour. However a large majority are of women donating there eggs are white. This means women and couples from ethnic minority backgrounds can face a difficult search and long wait for the right donor.

If more young women from black and minority ethnic backgrounds begin to come forward as donors, we can help make sure that every person who needs a donor egg can find the right match.

The majority of women who donate are in their early 30s, but with donations accepted from women of age 18 to 35 and a growing awareness of the shortage of donors, the numbers of younger women donating has grown in recent years.

Why are women donating?

The decision to donate is a very personal one. Some women feel their family is complete and want to pass on that same opportunity to someone else. Others may still be studying or just starting out on their career and perceive donating as a rare chance to do something that is completely transformational for those who will go on to benefit from their gift.

With donation carefully regulated, women feel safe and comfortable going through the process, and many say it’s one of the most fulfilling things they’ve ever done.