Become An Egg Donor: Our Requirements and Qualifications

Have you checked out our requirements and still need a little more info on whether you’re qualified to become an egg donor? We’ve expanded on each below.

Donating Eggs Qualifications

Are you between the ages of 19 and 30?

A woman is born with all the eggs she’ll ever have. In general, her fertility will start to decline in her mid to late 30’s. Our mission is to provide our recipients with the best possible chance to conceive with the highest quality frozen donor eggs. Thus, we don’t accept new applicants older than 30 years of age.

On the other side of the spectrum, maturity level and the ability to make major decisions independently and legally are important factors. For this reason, applicants are eligible only after turning 19. (If you’re not yet 19, you can ).

To learn more about why age matters, click here.

Do you have regular periods, both ovaries, and normal reproductive function?

For donating eggs, qualifications require you to have excellent reproductive function. Again, we want to maximize the success of your egg donation cycle. We also want to minimize your risk for complications.

You’re required to have normal, regular periods for participation because irregular cycle ranges can be indicative of ovulatory dysfunction. You’ll also need both ovaries. If there are fewer antral follicles, there are fewer eggs to work with. If you had a tubal ligation, you’re still eligible.

Are you a healthy, non-smoking individual?

You should be physically healthy and practice a healthy lifestyle. Smokers aren’t allowed in our program – ingesting tobacco or nicotine, even if it’s just on an occasional basis, can impact the quality of eggs and the egg donation cycle. To learn more about the impact of nicotine on fertility, click here.

Is your BMI in the range of 18-26?

If your BMI level is too high or low, you’re at higher risk for fertility issues, may require much higher dosages of medication to stimulate properly during the donation cycle, and may have a higher risk for complications during the egg retrieval. Learn more about the impact of weight on fertility here.

Are you not pregnant or breastfeeding?

You’ll be taking hormone medications for the egg donation cycle, therefore, if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding you won’t be eligible to donate. However, you’ll be eligible again once you’re least 5 months postpartum, are no longer breastfeeding, and have normal periods.

Do you have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED equivalent?

We are one of the more unique companies, as the typical standard for a donor egg program is to require a college degree, at a minimum.  We, on the other hand, require a minimum of a high school diploma. Learn more about why education matters here.

Are you a U.S. citizen? If not, do you have a valid work Visa or Green Card?

The government treats egg donation as essentially a job; they deem egg donation reimbursement is income that you’ll need to report. As such, you’ll need proof that you’re certified to work in the U.S. legally.

Can you provide a detailed medical history for three generations of your family?

You’ll need to know the medical history of yourself, your biological parents, any siblings, and any children. You’ll also need to know about your aunts, uncles, and grandparents on both your mother’s and father’s side. This information, along with genetic testing, is vital to help us understand how healthy of a candidate you are and if any genetic conditions may run in your family. Learn tips about how to get your family medical history here.

Do you live within 2 hours of one our partnering satellite clinics?

You’ll be required to make approximately 7-12 trips to the local medical office over the course of a few months. The back-and-forth commute can be very demanding; as such, you should live within a reasonable distance of one of our locations. We also offer a travel program that works to help donors who live outside a reasonable driving distance to one of our partner clinics to still be able to donate. Click here to find out more about our travel program.

Are willing to self-administer injectable medications and undergo an outpatient procedure?

If you have a fear of needles, don’t dismiss becoming an egg donor right away. Sure, the first time might be scary! But the needles are small, and if you’re like most donors, you’ll get used to the shots quickly.

You’ll also need to be willing to go through the egg retrieval procedure. Many donors say this is actually the easiest part of the entire process. The procedure only takes about 20 minutes. You won’t remember or feel any of it since you’ll be asleep under anesthesia and on pain meds. You’ll just need to go home and relax for the rest of the day so that the anesthesia wears off. You’ll be able to resume normal activity the next day. Read more about how painful egg donation actually is here.

Can you commit to the process for a minimum of 5 months?

If you pass the online application, you’ll undergo an initial screening, consisting of 1-4 office visits over a 2 month period. If approved, you’ll be accepted into our egg donation program. From there, you’ll start cycling, which will consist of 4-7 quick office visits within a 2 week period. We schedule office visits in the morning to minimize interference into your daily schedule. Learn more about the process here.

To close, our requirements are in place for good reason. Our priority is to make sure donors are healthy and are at very low risk for developing medical complications. We also want to make sure our recipients, who have dealt with tremendous heartache from infertility and have accepted that they can’t conceive using their own eggs, are getting the best possible chance they can get at conceiving a healthy baby through the help of our donors. We thank you sincerely for your interest in becoming a donor.

If you’re confident you’re eligible, take the next step and complete our online application. If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to ask us!