DONOR FAQS

There are many reasons someone might need an egg donor. Some women are unable to produce healthy eggs due to age, illness, early menopause, or medical treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Others may carry genetic conditions they do not want to pass on to their children. We also support LGBTQ+ individuals and couples who wish to grow their families through egg donation.

BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters. BMI is a simple screening method for weight categories i.e., measuring whether you are underweight, a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

A healthy BMI is particularly important if you are considering egg donation and matters solely because of your own health as an egg donor; in addition to the impact a higher or lower BMI has on your own fertility and egg quality.

Whilst the legal age is 18-35, we work with different criteria. In the field of fertility, women aged 35 and older are considered to be at an “advanced” maternal age.

Unfortunately, the quality and quantity of eggs decreases rapidly after the age of 35; and is the reason why so many women are in need of egg donors and why donors should be younger than 35.

The average female is born with about 500,000 eggs.  Each month your ovaries release follicles, which contain eggs. The average number of follicles is between 4 – 13 each month. Exact egg numbers are difficult to predict as every woman is different. Some factors are genetic, or lifestyle related.

Yes! Being an egg donor gives you the opportunity to help an LGBTQ family start their family! Besides heterosexual couples using egg donors, male couples and single men can make use of egg donors along with help from a surrogate to start their families. We also have many LGBTQ egg donors in our ranks who want to support their fellow members of the community, and we have loved walking this journey with them.

Egg donation in South Africa is legal, and is done on an anonymous basis, with the recipient only knowing your dedicated Donor Alias.  The recipient will only have to access very limited information about you as the donor such as age, height, weight, eye colour, hair colour, complexion, racial group, occupation, education qualification, fields of interest, personality, family history and other interesting facts about you.

We have lots of laws and regulations that protect our donors and recipients. Everything we do is governed by the National Health Act (Act no 61 of 2003). We also have an ethical body called SASREG, that oversees everything.

Once you have started your injections, you will need to see the doctor for 3-4 ultrasound appointments during your donation process. This is to make sure that your body is responding adequately to the medication. The painless ultrasound is done vaginally by the doctor as part of the consultation. During the ultrasound, the doctor will measure your growing follicles.

It is extremely unlikely. In fact, donors are cautioned to take measures against falling pregnant whilst on a donation cycle, as you will be very fertile whilst you are on the medication. The eggs retrieved during donation are eggs that would otherwise have been lost naturally during your cycle.

Donating your eggs is also an opportunity to assess your own reproductive health at no expense.

Overall, the donation process allows a woman to take ownership of her reproductive health, learn more about her body and embrace the different decisions we can make about our bodies.

No, your identity as a donor and that of your recipients are strictly confidential, and we never disclose your personal details, your adult photos, or your name.

  • Only childhood photos up to age 10 years old are seen by the recipient/s looking for a donor
  • You will not receive any information regarding the recipient/s, and as a donor you are free from any and all responsibility to any child, born from your donation
  • A record is kept of all donations as well as resultant pregnancies

Some people experience PMS symptoms but really nothing more than what some women experience each month.  These could be moodiness, tender breasts, feeling bloated or mild headaches. You won’t have to take time away from work or change your lifestyle, you can continue as normal whilst you donate. 

You may feel slight cramping, like period pains, but the actual procedure of retrieving the eggs is done under general anaesthetic. It is advisable not to partake in exercise on the day of your egg retrieval as you may feel a little tender.

You would see our clinical social worker or psychologist. You will also see a doctor for a full consultation, a scan and a blood test. You will be screened for the following: 

  • HIV I & II antibodies
  • RPR (Syphilis)
  • Hepatitis B surface antigen
  • Hepatitis C antibodies
  • CMV IgM
  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhoea
  • Blood Group
  • Cystic Fibrosis

On occasion, your recipient may request additional genetic tests, The pros are that you would know if you are a carrier of certain genetic diseases. There are no cons. The testing is done using one blood sample, and at no cost to you.

Egg donors use the same medication as fertility patients undergoing IVF. The sequence, dosage and schedule of administration of the medication for each egg donor is carefully planned by the nurse coordinator in consultation with the fertility specialist.

Our egg donation and clinic IVF Coordinators will give egg donors detailed instructions on how to take their medication as part of the treatment cycle.

The injections are very manageable. They’re given with a small, pen-like device and are self-administered just under the skin (usually around the belly area). Most donors say the process is easier than expected. Your coordinator will guide you every step of the way.

 Many of our egg donors donate more than once!

According to Chapter 8 on Artificial Fertilisation of the National Health Act (2003), a donor may not have more than 6 children born from their donation/s.

Women with a history of rare genetic disorders or abnormalities; women who are in early menopause, women who had chemotherapy or radiation, which affects her eggs or women who have poor quality eggs. You may also donate to people in the LGBTQ+ community. The people you donate to, are called recipients, as in – you’re a donor and they’re the recipient. Most recipients have often exhausted various fertility treatments, making egg donation a hopeful and final option.

Recipients typically have established relationships with doctors, which determines where donations occur. Our agency collaborates with clinics across the country to facilitate donations.

As a donor, you will be compensated R8, 000 every time that you donate. That’s paid into your bank account.  You won’t pay for any of the medical procedures or medical aspects of your donation.

There are rare complications like Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) which happens when a woman’s ovaries become swollen and painful after taking medication to stimulate egg production. It can cause symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, and sometimes vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to fluid buildup in the abdomen and chest, along with difficulty breathing. If this happens, you will be cared for and monitored our doctor. We prioritise donor care and monitoring throughout the process.

Severe OHSS happens in 1.5% of ED cycles.  While complications like Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) are rare, donor care and monitoring are prioritized throughout the process.  There is also a risk of infection, much like when you get a tattoo or piercing.

  1. Contact us so that we can take you through the application process
  2. Meet our Egg donation Coordinator
  3. Fill out our egg donor application form, which will include details of your family’s medical history
  4. Once application form is approved, you will be booked in for a medical & psychological screening
  5. Once screenings are completed/approved, you will an official Egg donation South Africa (EDSA) Egg donor
  6. You will be added to our anonymous egg donor database where recipients can select you as their perfect egg donor
  7. Your Egg donation Coordinator will confirm details regarding your egg donation cycle/process

FUTURE PARENTS FAQs

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 17.5% of adults need fertility treatment. There are many causes of infertility. Research has shown that: Infertility can be due to multiple factors.

  • In about 40% of cases, infertility is attributed to a female factor alone.
  • In about 40% of cases, a male factor is the primary cause.
  • In 20% of cases, both partners have contributing factors.

In the remaining 20%, the cause is unexplained despite investigations.

The National Health Act of 2004 regulates egg donations in South Africa. Egg donation is anonymous in South Africa. The law in South Africa allows financial compensation for reasonable expenses incurred by the donor, e.g. injectable medication, regular consultations, regular ultrasound examinations, blood tests and travel expenses to the clinic. According to South African law, an egg donor may not have more than 6 children born from their donated eggs.

Most egg donors are healthy young women under 29 years of age. We recruit egg donors from across South Africa.

We work with trusted fertility clinics across South Africa. If you haven’t chosen a doctor yet, we’ll gladly refer you to a reputable clinic in the city where you’d like to undergo treatment.

Your egg donor has a detailed medical examination and psychological assessment prior to joining the programme. The investigations performed on the donor are: HIV I and II, RPR, HepBs Ag, Hep C Ab, CMV IgM, Cystic Fibrosis dF508, blood group and antibodies. You may request that the clinic perform additional screening on your donor.

Please contact us for access to our database. It is the law in South Africa that egg donation is anonymous. However, we will provide you with profiles containing details about their physical characteristics, medical background, education, personality hobbies and more.

Once you have selected a donor, we will notify your fertility clinic of your choice.
The clinic will then provide you with a medical questionnaire to complete and ask for recent test results (usually less than 12 months old).
Common tests include:

For Female Recipients:

  • Day-3 blood tests: FSH and AMH
  • HIV I & II, RPR, Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis C antibodies, Rubella IgG
  • Recent pelvic ultrasound, hysteroscopy or hysterosalpingogram, and any surgical reports

For Male Partners:

  • Semen analysis

HIV I & II, RPR, Hepatitis B surface antigen, Hepatitis C antibodies

Yes, your treating doctor will provide a prescription for medication to help synchronise your cycle with that of your egg donor. This fertility medication also plays an important role in thickening and preparing the lining of your womb to ensure it is ready for the embryo transfer. Your clinic will guide you through the prescription schedule and monitor your progress throughout the process.

Your egg donor receives hormonal stimulation via daily fertility injections over approximately 10 days to encourage follicle development. She undergoes regular ultrasounds to monitor growth. The egg retrieval is performed under sedation or light anaesthesia using a fine needle guided by vaginal ultrasound. The procedure takes around 10–15 minutes.

Due to South African laws on anonymity, recipients cannot meet or contact their egg donor. All donor information is shared in non-identifiable profiles, and future contact is not permitted under current regulations.

The clinic will inform you which day to come in for your embryo transfer. The number of embryos transferred will depend on your clinic’s protocol and your preference of 1 or 2 embryos. Transferring more embryos increases the risk of multiple pregnancies, which may carry health risks for both mother and babies. You may freeze remaining embryos for use at a later date, if their quality is good. The freezing is usually done by vitrification which promises high recovery rates. The embryo transfer is an easy procedure much like a gynaecological examination done under ultrasound guidance. Following the embryo transfer you are advised not to do any heavy exercise for a week.

A blood test for pregnancy hormone (ßHCG) will be done 10 days after your embryo transfer. This can be performed once you have returned home. The blood test is usually repeated 2 days later to check the pregnancy hormone levels are rising appropriately.

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