Where Do Donors Come From?

When the media is not foaming at the mouth over a sextuplet pregnancy, the next most likely sensationalistic topic is egg donation. The focus is usually on the compensation paid to the donors with $50 thousand to $100 thousand for Ivy League eggs often reported. As a Princeton grad, I can tell you that my wife, for one, would never pay that much for Ivy League gametes (eggs or sperm). In fact, after meeting my college buddies for the first time in 1985 she probably immediately had 2nd thoughts about my suitability as a future spouse. Fortunately, our kids may take after her (especially my oldest son, Seth, who plans on being an engineer just like his Mom http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?article=83736&cat=104).

In any case, being an egg donor is a wonderful opportunity to perform an altruistic act but it is not a great way to get out of debt or buy a new car. Undergoing IVF is a lot of work. It is inconvenient. It interferes with your life. The drugs can have unpleasant side effects and you have to be available for many days out of the month for blood tests and sonograms. I tell all the donors that there are a lot of other ways to make money that do not involve this level of commitment. In addition, psychological studies suggest that donors who donate for the sake of the money alone, do not have as good an experience as those who are doing it as an altruistic act.

So why be a donor? That is the topic of today’s “Question of the Day” from 100 Questions and Answers about Infertility….


83. Where do egg donors come from, and why do they want to be a donor?


The typical egg donor is a healthy, young female in her twenties who desires to help others in having a baby. In our experience, egg donors tend to be intelligent, altruistic, sincere women who are knowledgeable about the difficulties that many couples face with their infertility. Most egg donors come from the local community near the infertility practice. They have learned about infertility from their friends, family, the Internet, and the media. Most of the donors whom we recruit for our practice have a college degree or are actively pursuing one. Most anonymous donors are reimbursed for their time and the expenses involved in the screening and treatment process. The screening usually takes 2 to 3 months to complete and the IVF treatment takes 4 to 6 weeks. In our experience, women who donate their eggs are very responsible individuals and genuinely concerned about carefully completing their role in the IVF treatment process to achieve a successful outcome.