Can You Become an Egg Donor for Compensation? (Pay Breakdown)

Written by Jeff Campbell in Make Money Last Updated December 13, 2022

Are you a female and looking for a legal way to get quick cash? Suppose you have heard about egg donor programs at fertility clinics. But can you become an egg donor for compensation?

As a general rule, women who are between the ages of 21-34 with a body mass index of 28 or lower with regular menstrual cycles and no sexually transmitted diseases can make between $3,000 to $10,000 when donating eggs.

But in many ways, it’s not quite that simple. And there are other criteria to consider.

Maybe you are interested in helping intending parents have children. You can enroll in an egg donor program. Prospective egg donors donate their eggs or oocyte to another woman as part of assisted reproductive technology.

Do you want to know more? Read on to find out all you need to know about the process.

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How much do you get for donating eggs?

In the United States of America, you can make about $3,000- $10,000 as egg donor compensation. All you need is to walk into a fertility clinic to get started.

Infertility is the inability to achieve pregnancy after frequent unprotected sex without using any form of contraceptives for at least a year.

According to Reproductive Biological Endocrinology (2015), about 48.5 million couples struggle with infertility. CDC in 2019 reports that about 10% of women aged 15-44 in America are infertile. Therefore, more couples are turning to In vitro fertilization (IVF) to get a baby.

Factors that determine how much you can earn from donating eggs include:

  • Number of mature eggs produced
  • Medical history
  • Lifestyle
  • Educational history
  • Ethnic background
  • Specific qualities demanded
  • Previous donations
  • Travel requirement

Note: the intended parents will pay a whole lot more for the entire process.

What disqualifies you from donating eggs?

Egg donation is certainly not for everyone. Let us explore some factors that may make a potential donor unfit.

Age

According to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines, potential donors should be between 21-34 years. However, there is a slight variation according to each clinic’s policies.

Undoubtedly, age is a factor that can disqualify a potential egg donor.

Although age is not a telling sign of maturity, it is considered that adults less than 20 may not be able to handle what comes with egg donation. Adults below 21 years may be disqualified because they are dubbed too young, inexperienced, and lack the composure or patience to go through the process.

The process involves taking some drugs, regular visits to the clinic, and more.

Physical health

The first factor that will disqualify a woman in this category is a BMI greater than 28. BM1, body mass index, is a value gotten when you divide the weight (kg) by the height (m^2).

Suppose your BMI is above 28. You are predisposed to more risks during the procedure. In addition, there is a high tendency that you may respond poorly to the treatment involved in the donation process.

Consequently, there may be complications that may end the treatment procedure.

Any history of reproductive abnormality may make a woman inappropriate to donate eggs. Furthermore, you can be disqualified if you abuse drugs, smoke, or take nicotine. History of substance abuse is a disqualifying factor in many fertility clinics.

Monthly cycle

Regular monthly cycles are an indication of good reproductive health.

A person with irregular monthly periods may not be qualified for the egg donor program. This could be a sign of reproductive disorders such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or endometriosis.

Therefore, it is crucial for potential egg donors to have regular monthly cycles, two ovaries, and no history of reproductive anomalies.

Infections

It is compulsory to undergo tests for sexually transmitted diseases during the egg donor screening process.

These tests will cover gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, and Hepatitis B and C. Testing positive for infections will disqualify you from donating eggs. However, suppose you have had gonorrhea or chlamydia for more than a year, some facilities will allow you to donate your eggs.

Herpes or Human Papilloma Virus may not disqualify you from the egg donor process, depending on the clinic policy. They cannot be transmitted through the eggs unless you are in an active phase.

In addition, a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome may be disqualified from donating eggs.

This condition may hinder the growth of follicles in the ovaries. However, eggs from women with PCOS did well in assisted reproductive technology. Again, it depends on the company’s policy.

Mental Health

Mental health is as important as physical health in the egg donor program.

Mental health is another critical criterion that can disqualify potential donors. Therefore, potential egg donors must undergo psychological screening.

A qualified mental health professional evaluates your psychological health, mental stability, psychosocial health, and how you cope with stressors. It also involves a comprehensive history of your family’s mental health.

Personality, developmental, or behavioral disorders can be identified through this process.

Mental health conditions that are genetic, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorders, may disqualify a woman. Additionally, depression will disqualify a woman from the process. Anti-depressant pills may negatively affect fertility and interact with fertility drugs.

So just be prepared for a comprehensive psychological evaluation.

Contraceptives

Women who use long-term contraceptives such as birth control pills are disqualified from donating their eggs.

They can interfere with your menstrual cycle and interact with fertility medications. Suppose you are on Depo-Provera shots.

Before applying, you have to refrain from taking shots for at least eight months or even a year. In addition, if you are on any hormonal implant, they have to be removed before you can be qualified to be an egg donor.

Hormonal Intra-uterine devices like Mirena have to be removed to become an egg donor. However, non-hormonal IUDs do not affect eligibility for egg donation.

Genetic disorders

Another factor that can disqualify you from donating eggs is genetic disorders.

Before you are cleared, you have to undergo genetic testing. This is to rule out the possibility of passing anything onto the kid. Inheritable genetic conditions are a significant concern for prospective parents.

Examples of genetic disorders include thalassemia, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, and others.

Commitment

A potential egg donor must be willing and available to commit to the process.

Donating eggs is a serious business because people’s happiness depend on it. It would be wrong to think you would just walk in, complete the egg retrieval procedure, and walk out with financial compensation.

Egg donation is a very elaborate process.

You need to adjust your schedule to keep numerous clinic appointments. Therefore, if you cannot commit to medical procedures and fertility treatments, you will be disqualified. Also, you have to maintain good communication with donor coordinators either with phone calls, emails, or other agreed means.

How many times can a woman donate eggs?

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a woman can only donate her eggs six times.

She can do it in one hospital or at different clinics. Still, the egg donation cycle must not exceed six throughout her lifetime.

There are two main reasons for this restriction.

The first is to protect the health of the donor. There are no long-term adverse effects of donating eggs. However, the woman is at risk of infection because it involves some invasive procedures.

Also, the woman has to go under anesthesia for the actual egg retrieval procedure. Additionally, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome is an unintended side effect of the egg donation process.

Another reason is to prevent unintentional consanguinity.

Suppose a donor helps two different families conceive. The children will have no idea that they are related. Therefore, they can get married and raise a family without realizing they are genetically related. Consequently, a limit is set to reduce the risks of consanguinity.

How does selling your eggs work?

The first step to selling your eggs is to complete an application form.

It is usually a questionnaire about your details, family history, medical history, lifestyle choices, weight, height, a photograph, and other preliminary information. After review by the officers in charge, a phone call will be put across to you to make your first appointment.

The number of visits before final approval depends on how the facility works. You need to visit a psychologist, genetic counselor, and reproductive endocrinologist.

The medical officer will give you adequate information regarding the medical procedures. A physical examination will be scheduled where head to toe assessment will be done. In addition, blood samples will test for genetic diseases, hormone levels, or infections.

Once the results from all the assessments are out, you will be informed if you are chosen as a potential egg donor. You will then be taught how to administer the required medications.

The major medications are for hyperstimulation of the ovaries so that the ovary can produce many eggs for retrieval. Donors may need to take drugs that inhibit the menstrual cycle so that the doctor can regulate it. Headaches, mood swings, pain at the injection site are common side effects.

A rare side effect is ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Afterward, the donor coordinators will synchronize your cycle with the recipient’s cycle. Then you will need to frequently visit the clinic for about two weeks for blood tests and vaginal ultrasound to monitor your progress.

In some facilities, once an intended parent needs your egg, you get half the payment and the other half after the retrieval process.

Others will only pay you the agreed price after the eggs have been harvested. The donor eggs may be retrieved through the vagina under general anesthesia. Donors can resume activities the following day.

You may need a family member to drive you back home from the clinic after the procedure. However, some may take a few more days to recover fully.

How many eggs do females have?

A woman is born with a finite amount of eggs.

Unlike males, where sperm are continually produced, women do not continually produce eggs. At 20 weeks of pregnancy, the female fetus has made the maximum number of eggs, about 6-8 million.

However, every female has about 1-2 million eggs in their ovaries at birth. They are continuously reabsorbed in the developmental process.

The number of eggs the female has in both ovaries slowly reduces. At puberty, only about 300,000- 400,000 eggs remain in the ovaries. The average onset of puberty is 11 years. Only about 12% of the total number of eggs will remain at age 30.

After 30 years, a woman may experience a sharp decline in the number of eggs. Factors like genetics, menarche (onset of menstruation), diet, and lifestyle choices play crucial roles at this stage.

Menopause marks the end of reproductive years.

It begins gradually until the menstruation completely stops. When a woman does not have a period for more than a year, she has gone into menopause. She cannot achieve natural pregnancy at this stage because she no longer ovulates.

In addition, at menopause, a woman will have about 1,000 eggs left in her ovaries. These eggs are most often not viable.

Can a woman ever run out of eggs?

Yes, a woman can run out of eggs.

The ovaries are the home for immature eggs. Under hormones’ influence, some of these immature eggs (called follicles) are activated each month. However, only one reaches maturity, which is released at ovulation.

The introduction of sperm into the female reproductive tract at this time may lead to pregnancy. This monthly circle continues until all the eggs are almost depleted. Generally, at 35 years, there is a sudden decline in the egg count and quality.

Before puberty, a female loses about 10,000 eggs every month. When menstruation begins, they lose about 1,000 immature follicles monthly.

Some lifestyle choices may influence the rate of deterioration of eggs.

For example, smoking may increase the chances of faster breakdown of ovarian reserve. Therefore, if you want healthy and quality eggs, you should avoid smoking. It is important to note that a decline in ovarian reserve is normal with aging.

Certain genetic conditions, ovarian surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy also contribute to faster depletion of ovarian reserve.

Furthermore, you may have an idea of how many eggs you have left with a transvaginal ultrasound or an anti-mullerian hormone test.

What is the ideal age to sell your eggs?

The recommended age for egg donation is usually between the ages of 21-30. However, it varies based on facility policy. 

With increasing age, there is a reduction in the success rate of harvested eggs for fertilization. Consequently, this leads to disappointment and a waste of time and resources.

In addition, there is also an increased risk of congenital anomalies.

Many clinics prefer the least age of egg donors to be 21. This is because younger women may not appreciate the beauty of the process to be committed to the process.

The process of egg donation can be tasking, and an older donor may not be able to cope with them. Therefore, facilities prefer younger women who are healthy to cope with all the physical and physiological stressors.

Another factor that favors choosing young women is ovarian reserve.

This is the ovary’s capacity to produce viable eggs. Pregnancy cannot be successful if the eggs are not healthy. With increasing age, the ovarian reserve significantly reduces.

Other factors contributing to ovarian depletion include hormonal imbalances, menstruation, and diseases. Therefore, younger women are the best options for egg donations because they have a healthy ovarian reserve.

Note: The best quality of eggs can be gotten from a healthy ovarian reserve.

Making $10,000+ Doing An Egg Donation (USA) Part 1

Conclusion

As a young adult, there is no harm in making extra money.

You can read a recent article on tips for making extra money. Due to various medical or genetic conditions, some women cannot use their own eggs to conceive a child.

Donating your eggs to a woman who cannot use her own eggs is one of the best gifts. Remember to ask questions about the safety and risks involved with all the required medical procedures.

In over your head? Find Your Best Personal Loan Option can help!

If you’re in the situation where you think a personal loan might make sense to consolidate credit cards, pay off student loans, or take care of some much-needed home repairs, the folks over at HonestLoans make it easy to get the best offers in under 2 minutes.

Even as little as a hundred bucks.

You could possibly save thousands a year and you have nothing to lose in checking! It doesn’t even ding your credit score to look at the offers!

CLICK HERE to see how much you can borrow! Apply in seconds and often, you can get the funds in your bank within 24 hours.

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