Becoming an Egg Donor
For many women, using an egg donor may be their only option for becoming a mum.
Couples that require egg donation have often experienced several unsuccessful IVF cycles or for medical reasons have been advised that using donor eggs is their best chance to have a child. Sadly, there is a shortage of egg donors in Tasmania.
Donating your eggs, will have a powerful impact on you, the woman that who receives it, and, of course, on the person born as a result of your donation.
The Egg Donation Process
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Did you know, there’s a shortage of egg donations in Australia? Are you willing to help?
By donating your eggs, you’re donating so much more... the love and pure joy of growing someone’s family. Egg donors can help change the lives of people wishing to grow their family.
Here’s how the process works.
If you’re between 23 and 35, with no medical or genetic conditions... you’re an ideal candidate. Don’t worry... There are no legal or financial obligations for egg donors.
Step 1: Speak to our donor team
They’ll explain the entire process and answer any questions.
Step 2: Consult with a fertility specialist
They’ll get to know you and your medical history...This can include tests and a medical health questionnaire.
Step 3: Counselling
Both you and those you’re donating to will speak with our friendly counselling team...they’ll help all parties understand the facts.
Step 4: Collecting the eggs
Being a donor means going through the first two steps of an IVF cycle. This involves medication to boost the amount of eggs you produce naturally. Scans and blood tests will reveal the growing number of eggs. Once there are enough eggs your specialist will organise an egg collection procedure. This is performed under a light sedation at one of our day hospitals. There are no out of pocket medical costs.
Step 5: The recipients
The eggs are then fertilised in the laboratory for the recipient. 3 to 5 days later, one of the resulting embryos is transferred.
That’s it, all done. You may have just helped someone create their family. Thank you, it’s an amazing gift.
You can choose to be informed about the rest of the family’s journey, or you can go on your way...This is all agreed upon beforehand.
And once the little one turns 18, they can choose to request your contact details.
That’s how it works! When you decide to donate your eggs, you’re donating so much more...The love and the pure joy of starting a family.
Help make a difference in someone’s life.
Contact our donor team today.
Can I be an egg donor?
To be an egg donor, you must be a female Australian resident, aged between 25-40 years of age. It is also desirable that egg donors have completed their own families. If you have a partner, we ask that they attend donor counselling sessions with you.
Can I be paid to be an egg donor?
In Australia it is illegal to take payment for any human tissue, including eggs. However, TasIVF can reimburse donors for their expenses incurred during the donation process.
Can I be an anonymous donor?
If there is a specific couple or individual that you wish to donate your eggs to, such as a sister or good friend, TasIVF can help you manage this process.
Otherwise, if you wish to be an anonymous donor, you will have the option of reviewing potential recipient’s profiles and selecting the recipient (s) of your choice.
TasIVF maintains a secure register of all past donors, which the offspring of donors have the option to access when they turn 18.
Am I legally responsible for the offspring?
While any children created as a result of your donation will be your genetic offspring, legally and socially they will be the children of different parents.
At TasIVF, we require all donors to have a three month cooling off period prior to donations as well as at least two counselling sessions with our counsellor. This is so you can make sure the decision you make is one you can live with for the rest of your life. It also helps ensure your decision will have positive implications for donor recipients and any resulting offspring.
How do I become an egg donor?
If you are interested in egg donation, please make an appointment to talk to our Donor Coordinator, either face to face or over the phone, to get more detail on the egg donation process. This will include the kinds of tests you’ll be required to undergo, including infectious disease and genetic testing, the medication you’ll need to take and your rights and responsibilities as a donor. Counselling is compulsory for donors, recipients and their respective partners to ensure everyone involved is prepared.
Of course, we treat any donor inquiry, and all aspects of care and treatment, with the utmost privacy and confidentiality.
Using egg donors in IVF is a specialist area, and TasIVF coordinates our donor program to ensure it meets all ethical and legislative guidelines and standards.
If you're interested in becoming an egg donor, fill out the form below. We'll be in touch to explain the process of egg donation at TasIVF.
Alternatively, you can read more about the TasIVF’s donor coordinator.