Question:

 

Is egg donation legal?

Answer:

 

Yes, definitely.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Do I get paid to be an egg donor?

Answer:

 

Egg donors do not get paid, they receive a donation. Please see the section above. This egg donor donation has been established by the Health Department so well within the relevant egg donation legislation.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Why do ladies or couples need egg donors?

Answer:

 

Refer to the section on why couples need egg donors/ why they need to participate on an egg donor programme.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Do ladies donate again after they have done it?

Answer:

 

Yes, egg donors find the process very rewarding and so wish to help out again. They have found the discomfort minimal. Every egg donor I have encountered has offered to donate again.

 

 

 

Question:

 

How often can ladies donate their eggs?

Answer:

 

Egg donation is governed ito the Human Tissue Act. An egg donor can donate her eggs to the extent that 5 children are conceived through egg donation. Egg donation is also governed by the National Health Act.

 

 

 

Question:

 

How often after I have donated can I donate again?

Answer:

 

After the egg donation, you will have a period, then you need to have a normal period and can donate again in the next cycle.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Is it okay if I donate eggs to get the egg donation money?

Answer:

 

Egg donors are angels, so the recipient gladly offers the R5,000 or R6,000 for the egg donor's inconvenience.

 

 

 

Question:

 

How do I know that my eggs are not used for testing and/ or given to couples who will nor adequately look after the child?

Answer:

 

Fertility clinics are top egg donor clinics, so work well within ethical guidelines and are guided by the objective of helping people conceive.

 

 

 

Question:

 

What happens to the eggs that are not used?

Answer:

 

After the eggs have been retrieved, they are fertilised with the recipient's partner's sperm. They are grown in a special medium for 5 days, at which stage usually the best two are implanted into the recipient's uterus. If there are remaining embryos they continue to grow in the special medium for another day or two, and are then frozen – if viable.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Does the egg donation recipient know who the egg donor is?

Answer:

 

Egg donation is kept anonymous and confidential. Egg donors are treated with absolute respect and their details kept entirely confidential. Upon being interested in egg donation, you may be asked for a picture of yourself. This is just to match you up to a recipient. If you are uncomfortable with this, it is quite acceptable and you need not provide any picture.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am a virgin?

Answer:

 

Yes. The egg donor must be prepared to have an internal examination. Some South African fertility clinics are however not comfortable to do treatment on virgin egg donors. It may be that the humen needs to be broken for an internal scan to take place.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am a lesbian?

Answer:

 

Yes, the egg donor's sexual preference is her own decision and does not impact on her ability to be an egg donor.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am breastfeeding?

Answer:

 

Egg donors first have to finish breastfeeding and can then donate.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I have tattoos?

Answer:

 

Yes.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I take recreational drugs?

Answer:

 

Egg donors need to be free of any drug use for at least one year. Ad hoc use of cannabas is not encouraged if you are participating on an egg donor program.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I have diabetes?

Answer:

 

An egg donor with type 1 diabetes may not proceed as an egg donor.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am depressed?

Answer:

 

The nature of medication you are on will influence this decision. Also the egg donation recipient will need to be comfortable with this decision. It may be that the screening psychologist may not approve such an egg donor.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I donate my eggs whilst on medication?

Answer:

 

The exact medication wil influence whether the egg donation program can proceed. e.g. An egg donor can only donate her eggs four months after being on a course of ruacutane.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am on accutane?

Answer:

 

No - you cannot donate eggs whilst using accutane.  It is highly teratogenic (causing fetal abnormalities) and is recommended to stop 3 months prior to a pregnancy.  Egg donors should rather try the ginette pill or Minerva contraceptive pill.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am on oral contraceptive?

Answer:

 

Yes, there is no need to come off contraceptives.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I become an egg donor if I have the contraceptive patch?

Answer:

 

Yes, the fertility sisters will provide appropriate guidance around this.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I donate my eggs if I have the contraceptive loop inserted?

Answer:

 

Egg donors with the normal copper T loop. Only with the mirena loop will the loop need to be removed - This contains hormones which does not help egg donation. Testing for necessary hormone levels for egg donation can only happen once the mirena is removed.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I become an egg donor if I am on the contraceptive injection?

Answer:

 

First stop the injection and wait for your period to resume - only then can we do blood tests. The three month injection can sometimes take 9 - 12 months before it is completely out of an egg donor's system. Top fertility clinics have recommended that an egg donor have two normal menstrual cycles after the injection's effective date before she can donate her eggs. Accordingly it is advsed that a donor first have her normal periods before she proceed to register as an egg donor. This contraceptive injection applies to the Petogen/ Depo Provera injection.
Normally a progesterone blood test will be done on day 21 of the second normal menstrual period to ensure that the egg donor has resumed ovulating. This will be a confirmation of her natural fertility having returned.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I have polysistic ovaries or polysistic ovarian syndrome?

Answer:

 

Yes, having POS or polysistic ovaries will not preclude woman from being egg donors.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Are blood tests required on any specific day?

Answer:

 

Blood tests will be done on the same day as the initial appointment. Blood tests can only happen for ladies on the contraceptive injection once their cycle returns. The exact day on which blood tests will happen are dependent on the specific fertility clinic/ egg donation clinic.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am on elxtroxin?

Answer:

 

A person taking eltroxin is attempting to regulate thyroid function. This is imperative for good egg development. It is therefore not ideal for egg donors to have a less than perfect thyroid function and egg donors taking eltroxin will unfortunately be declined from the egg donor program.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I am pregnant?

Answer:

 

First have your baby, complete your breastfeeding and once your normal cycles resume, we can do the necessary tests for egg donation.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I become an egg donor if I have been sterilsed or had my tubes tied?

Answer:

 

Yes, this is perfect.

 

 

 

Question:

 

What other contraception can I use if I stop using my ordinary contraceptive?

Answer:

 

Condoms are considered the best contraceptive method.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Why is there a cut off age of 34 for egg donors?

Answer:

 

Egg quality is deemed to deteriorate with age.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Why do some fertility clinics require the egg donor to be aged 21?

Answer:

 

Egg donation is a very mature and responsible giving deed. It is an elective process and egg donors are encouraged to enter the process with full understanding of the egg donor program.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Will the child or children conceived through egg donation be able to contact the egg donor at a later stage?

Answer:

 

No. Egg donation is kept completely confidential. The receipient of the donor eggs does not know the name of the donor and does also not know see any photos. Very often parents of children conceived through egg donation do not even tell their children that they were conceived through egg donation. It is a very personal decision.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Will egg donation affect my sex drive?

Answer:

 

No, egg donation will not adversely affect your sex drive.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Will egg donation make me put on weight?

Answer:

 

No, egg donation will not make you put on weight.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Is egg donation sore or painful?

Answer:

 

Worst side effect is slight bloatedness.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Will egg donation impact on my fertility?

Answer:

 

No, egg donation does not affect your own fertility. It is about donating the eggs that you had no intention of using that month any way.

 

 

 

Question:

 

How often can I donate my eggs?

Answer:

 

Not more than 5 living children may be conceived through your generous gift of egg donation.

 

 

 

Question:

 

What if become an egg donor and no couple selects me?

Answer:

 

Couples are very desperate for egg donor and there really are alot of desperate couples. baby2mom attempts to match the donor's physical profile to the egg donation recipient. If your blood tests and physical have come back that all is in order, you will likely donate quite quickly provided the timing of the egg donation is acceptable for you.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I be an egg donor if I have no thyroid?

Answer:

 

No, thyroid is critical to goo egg development, so a thyroid is essential for egg donation.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Will egg donation cost me any money?

Answer:

 

No egg donors incur no costs, only need to get to the specific and agreed fertility clinic for the tests and scans for the egg donation program.

 

 

 

Question:

 

If I have a genetic deformaty, should I become an egg donor?

Answer:

 

No, if persons have known genetic disorders - such as a cleft lip, overbite, epilepsy - they should not participate on the egg donor program.

 

 

 

Question:

 

Can I become an egg donor if I am a virgin?

Answer:

 

An egg donor's sexual history has no impact on her ability to donate eggs except if she has STD's. So an egg donor can proceed if she is a virgin.

 

 

 

Question:

 

How are the donor eggs retrieved?

Answer:

 

Eggs ar retrieved vaginally. This does not cause long term harm. Depending on the fertility clinic, the egg donor will either be under full anaethetic or under mild sedation

 

 

 

Question:

 

Why co people need egg donors?

Answer:

 

Couples need to participate on egg donor programmes/ egg donation programmes for various reasons to enable them to conceive and carry a child: