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In many cases, what’s being shared isn’t always accurate. It can be hard to separate what’s true from what’s not with so much information floating around. That’s why it’s important to get clear and reliable guidance when learning about egg donation.
Fact: Not everyone qualifies to donate eggs. Strict criteria ensure the process is safe and the eggs are high quality for the best chance of a successful pregnancy.
- The ART Act specifies that egg donors must be between 23 and 35 years old. Younger donors typically have better egg quality and quantity.
- You need a healthy body mass index (BMI) and must be a non-smoker, free from recreational drugs.
- You’ll need to know your personal and family health history.
- There is no family history of illnesses or infectious conditions such as HIV or hepatitis.
- Thorough medical and psychological screenings, including fertility tests, confirm you’re physically and emotionally ready.
Myth 2: Donating Eggs Depletes Your Egg Supply or Causes Early Menopause
Fact: Egg donation doesn’t reduce your egg reserve or lead to early menopause. You’re born with millions of immature eggs, and by your mid-20s, thousands remain. Each menstrual cycle naturally involves 15 to 20 follicles, but only one egg usually matures. Donation uses medications to mature 10 to 20 eggs that your body would have lost anyway in that cycle. If tests show a low ovarian reserve, you won’t be eligible to donate in order to protect your future fertility.Myth 3: Egg Donation Affects Your Future Fertility
Fact: Donating eggs doesn’t impact your ability to have children later. The eggs retrieved are ones your body would have naturally shed. Your remaining eggs continue to mature for future use. After donation, your hormone levels return to normal within a month or two.Myth 4: Egg Donation is Painful and Invasive
Fact: The egg donation process is designed to be comfortable with minimal discomfort. You’ll take injectable fertility medications for 8 to 12 days to stimulate egg growth, which may cause mild bloating, cramping, or nausea. Egg retrieval is a short, pain-free procedure that takes about 20 to 30 minutes and is done under sedation or anaesthesia. You might feel mild cramping or bloating for a few days afterwards. This can be eased with simple pain relievers or a warm compress.Myth 5: You Can Donate Eggs as Many Times as You Want
Fact: There are limits to protect your health. The ART Act outlines the criteria for a woman to become an egg donor. In India, egg donation is anonymous. A woman is allowed to donate eggs only once in her life, and no more than 7 eggs can be retrieved during the process.Myth 6: Egg Donors Are Only Motivated by Money
Fact: Any form of commercial gain or exploitation in egg donation is strictly prohibited. The compensation should be fair and only meant to cover the donor’s expenses, including medical tests, travel, and accommodation. Many donors are driven by a desire to help others achieve parenthood, whether friends, family, or strangers. Clinics screen egg donors to confirm that their motivation is genuinely altruistic and not driven by financial gain.Myth 7: Egg Donors Must Have a Relationship with the Child
Fact: As an egg donor in India, you have no legal or parental obligations to any child born from your donated eggs. The child is legally the offspring of the commissioning couple or individual. Egg donation is completely anonymous, and your identity will not be revealed to the child or intended parents. Legal contracts make sure you’re not responsible for child support or any parental duties.Myth 8: Egg Donation Causes Emotional or Psychological Distress
Fact: Egg donation is a personal decision, but you won’t have to go through it alone. Support systems are in place to guide you. You’ll have psychological evaluations to check your emotional readiness. If you’re married or engaged, your partner will be there for you too. Most donors feel fulfilled knowing they’ve helped someone start a family.Myth 9: Egg Donation is Only for Women Who Can’t Conceive Naturally
Fact: Egg donation helps a wide range of people, including individuals with low egg quality, genetic disorders, or infertility due to treatments like chemotherapy. It’s also used in surrogacy for eligible couples or single women. You, as a recipient, can request a donor with similar physical traits or ethnicity through a registered ART clinic, but the process is anonymous, so you won’t know the donor’s identity.Myth 10: The Child Won’t Have the Recipient’s DNA
Fact: The child won’t carry your genetic material if you use a donated egg, as the egg provides the donor’s DNA. However, as the recipient mother carrying the pregnancy, your womb plays an important role in shaping the child’s growth and development.Myth 11: Egg Donation Takes a Lot of Time
Fact: The process is time-limited, typically spanning 3 to 6 months from screening to retrieval. You may need a couple of days off work for appointments and the retrieval itself, which takes less than 30 minutes. Appointments are scheduled around your availability. You can usually resume normal activities shortly after retrieval, though your doctor will advise based on your health.The Egg Donation Process
Knowing the steps involved can help ease any worries about the process feeling too complicated:- Screening and matching: You’ll complete a detailed application, followed by medical tests, ultrasounds, blood and urine samples, and a psychological evaluation. You’re matched with a recipient if approved, often based on physical traits or ethnicity.
- Cycle synchronisation: Medications align your cycle with the recipient’s for optimal timing.
- Ovarian stimulation: You’ll take hormone injections for about two weeks to encourage egg production, with regular monitoring.
- Egg retrieval: A quick procedure under sedation collects the eggs, after which you recover within days.
FAQs on Common Myths About Egg Donation
- Who can donate eggs in India?
Women aged 23 to 35 who are healthy, non-smokers, have no serious medical conditions or family history of genetic diseases, and pass medical and psychological screenings can donate eggs. - Can I donate eggs more than once?
No. Under India’s ART Act, a woman can donate eggs only once, and no more than 7 eggs can be retrieved during that donation. - Is the egg donation process painful?
The process involves some mild discomfort, like bloating or cramping. The actual retrieval is done under sedation, so it’s painless and takes around 20 to 30 minutes.
