You may be thinking about egg donation or be interested in becoming an egg donor to benefit an infertile couple. But do you know why egg donation is best for some women and intended parents?
Before deciding to donate your eggs, let’s discuss why egg donation is needed—and how our donors help make dreams come true for intended parents. Read below to learn about 5 reasons why egg donation is needed and how egg donors help intended parents start their families.
There’s no one reason for infertility. A woman may be perfectly capable of carrying a pregnancy, but she might have a problem with her eggs or her ovaries that prevents conception. Sometimes, multiple problems affect a woman’s fertility—genetics, age, poor egg quality, and ovarian problems are often the most common. Sometimes, there’s no clear-cut answer, which can be frustrating.
After multiple failed attempts at getting pregnant with her eggs, women may decide to use donor eggs. Others have suffered the heartbreak of miscarriages. Whatever the root causes, it’s important to understand that no one takes egg donation lightly.
For many who choose IVF with donor eggs, it’s a difficult decision that comes after a long journey. By becoming an egg donor, you can help those who have experienced infertility.
As women enter their mid-30s, their fertility decreases. This decrease happens mostly due to the reduced number and quality of eggs in the ovaries. A decline in eggs occurs over a woman’s whole life.
For example, a baby girl has 1 to 2 million eggs at birth, but by the time she hits menopause, only a few hundred eggs remain. Older eggs also have a higher rate of chromosomal anomalies, which increases the chance of early miscarriage. Because the number of eggs decreases in a woman’s 30s, one of the requirements for donating eggs is that donors be between the ages of 19 and 30.
Sometimes, our society scolds women for “putting off” having children. But we all understand that real life is complex, and has many twists and turns, and the path to parenthood doesn’t look the same for everyone.
More women are focusing on fulfilling their career goals, some are finding the right partners and husbands later in life, and more women want to delay having children until they are financially and emotionally ready to give birth.
Women today have more life choices than ever—that’s good! However, this means that an increasing number of women do not become mothers until after age 35.
Another possible reason some women might choose to use donor eggs is because they have a specific health condition that makes it difficult to conceive. Various conditions can complicate a woman’s ability to get pregnant. Read below to learn about some of the most common.
For some women, the choice of a traditional pregnancy is removed because of problems affecting their ovaries or their eggs. Up to 1-2% of women under the age of 40 suffer from premature ovarian failure. With a shrinking egg supply, a woman’s ovaries stop functioning sooner than expected. Some common conditions are ovulation disorders like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and tumors, and in some cases, a cause of infertility is never found.
Another factor that impacts a woman’s egg supply is cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery can harm the ovaries and other reproductive organs, hurting fertility. In these cases, an egg donor program may be the only option for these hopeful mothers-to-be.
For other women, using their eggs simply isn’t an option because of genetic diseases and conditions. Some chromosomal issues result in non-viable embryos, devastating congenital disabilities, and miscarriages. In these situations, women who want to be mothers must make the difficult decision to use donor eggs to avoid these risks.
Autoimmune disease occurs when your body’s immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues. This can have an impact on a woman’s fertility by causing damage to her ovaries and potentially leading to issues like reduced egg reserve. Autoimmune disease can also increase the chances of having a miscarriage.
These disorders are also why our egg donor candidates undergo a thorough screening process that includes a complete family and medical history evaluation, genetic screening, and mental health screening. The screening process helps donors ensure they are prepared and capable of donating and helps recipients feel secure about their choices.
We’ve been talking about female infertility as the main reason egg donors are needed. But same-sex and male couples can also be in search of egg donors. Our culture is accepting new ways of thinking about parenthood and families.
The path to fatherhood is long and complicated for male couples, and gay people still face lots of discrimination when it comes to adoption. Many gay couples will elect to use a surrogate, which is someone who agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person or couple. Surrogacy through the egg donation process is a way for gay fathers or same-sex couples to have children and build families with a genetic connection.
Egg donors can make family dreams come true for so many intended parents. If you’re interested in becoming an egg donor and going through an egg donation cycle, consider the lives your decision will touch. To understand more about egg donation, read our FAQs or contact us.
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