Who donates eggs to help other people grow their families? They are young women who see themselves as part of a process that will make a significant impact on the lives of others. They are conscientious, have researched the process, and understand the commitment required for egg donation. Does that sound like you? Our teams in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, MA, and New York City, many of whom are experienced egg donors themselves, can determine if you meet the requirements to donate eggs and , then help guide you through the process.
Are You Eligible to Be an Egg Donor?
Before going through the screening process, we check to make sure potential egg donors meet the qualifications. These egg donor requirements help ensure a positive experience and a healthy baby, in addition to following guidelines set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
To qualify as an egg donor with Circle Surrogacy, you must:
- Be 21 to 29 (up to 31 for experienced donors)
- Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no more than 29 (Click to find out your BMI)
- Be a US or Canadian citizen
- Have no more than 1 cancer diagnosis in your family history (except non-genetic cancers, such as leukemia and lung cancer)
- No family history of serious heart disease or family members who had a heart attack before age 55
- Never been hospitalized for a psychiatric condition
- Get comfortable giving yourself daily injections with small needles, like those used for insulin
- Have some education after high school (enrolled in college, college classes, certification programs, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, Ph.D., etc.)
Egg donors can be of any race and ethnic background. They must also be prepared to travel twice to the intended parents’ fertility clinic: a short trip for a medical screening and then a longer trip (3-7 days) for egg retrieval. (All expenses are paid by the intended parents and it’s a great way to visit new cities!)
Why do you require egg donors to have a BMI of less than 29?
Women with a high BMI face a higher risk to their health, and the quality of donor eggs may be lower. An important part of the egg donor process is the injection of medication that boosts the ovaries’ ability to produce more eggs. Higher doses are often needed for donors with a body mass index greater than 29, which can pose a health risk. Our BMI requirements are not meant to give an indication of how healthy you are, as many women are healthy with a BMI that is out of our range. BMI limits are set by fertility clinics as criteria for the best results during an IVF cycle.
How often do I need to give myself shots?
Egg donors give injections every day for about 21 days during the process. The exact number varies based on the clinic’s protocol and your body’s response to the medications. Ultrasounds are scheduled during this time to check how you are responding to medications. Don’t worry – these are tiny needles!
Will I know the parents using my eggs?
Anonymous egg donations are possible, but we encourage “known egg donation”—when the intended parents can get to know you and get to know you better as a person. Knowing who you are helping can help make the process more enjoyable. Same-sex couples using surrogacy to grow their families often prefer well-known donors so they can honestly share the child’s birth story and eliminate any future mystery. See our related blog post for tips on deciding if known, somewhat known, or unknown egg donation is right for you.
How do you screen potential egg donors?
All donor applicants who meet our donation requirements first complete a pre-screening interview with our intake coordinator (who is also an experienced donor). Once selected by the intended parents, a licensed clinical social worker screens matching egg donors through Circle Surrogacy. We really want to know about our egg donors and make sure they are engaged in the donation process. Egg donors are paid, but money isn’t the only reason women become egg donors. We also give applicants a standardized psychological test to identify potential illnesses, emotional problems, or personality disorders.
How to become an egg donor?
If you are considering becoming an egg donor, the first step is application submission. When we receive your application, the team at Circle Surrogacy immediately begins the process that can lead to fulfilling the dream of helping other people grow their families.
To see more content about egg donation on Circle Surrogacy and Egg Donation, follow us on TikTok where we share fun updates about our egg donor program!
