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Donor egg recipients

Undergoing treatment with the assistance of an egg donor can help an individual or couple achieve their dream of creating a family. There are many reasons why some individuals and couples require an egg donor. At Newlife IVF, we regularly facilitate known egg donor arrangements with confidence and experience.

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Who may need donor eggs?

There are a number of reasons why an egg donor can help a person or couple to have a baby. Egg donors are regularly accessed by single women, same-sex female couples, single men, same-sex male couples, and heterosexual couples.

Factors affecting a woman’s ability to use her own eggs may include:

Restricted ability to produce her own eggs

A woman may be unable to produce her own eggs due to her age, her hormone levels or early menopause. It may also occur as a result of cancer treatment, as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cause permanent damage to the ovaries.

Poor egg quality

Egg quality is one of the most important factors affecting IVF outcomes. Egg quality naturally declines with age, so older women may require donor eggs in order to achieve a successful pregnancy. Sub-optimal egg quality can also contribute to recurrent miscarriages or can result in a couple or individual undergoing several IVF cycles without achieving their desired outcome.

Presence of a genetic disorder

Some women carry a genetic disorder that they do not wish to pass on to their children. If there is potential for this to occur, genetic testing of embryos is often sufficient in order to screen for and prevent inheritance of the disorder. However, in the event that genetic testing is not suitable, the help of an egg donor can be an appropriate alternative.

Single men and same-sex couples

Men also require the help of an egg donor to build their family, with the added assistance of a woman who is willing to act as a surrogate.

How do I find an egg donor?

Known donor

Known donor

If you feel comfortable sharing your fertility experiences with family and friends, it is possible to let your social networks know that you are looking for an egg donor. You may also consider online forums.

Advertising for an egg donor

Advertising for an egg donor

You may also choose to advertise in print publications. However, you must gain an approval from the Minister of Health prior to advertising.

For more information, read this information sheet on Exploring Egg Donor Options.

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What happens once I have connected with a potential egg donor?

Once you have connected with a person who is considering donating their eggs, please contact your fertility specialist who can assist in arranging the necessary screening tests and treatment plans for both yourself and your potential egg donor. You will also be required to attend an individual counselling session and then a group counselling session with your potential donor.

Egg donors must meet the following eligibility:

  • Aged between 21 to 40
  • Ideally have had their own children
  • Both physically and mentally healthy, with no family history of serious genetic disorders
  • Must have a permanent address
  • Ideally have full Medicare benefits in Australia
  • Must be motivated by a desire to help others

The above list is not exhaustive. For more information on eligibility and becoming a donor, refer to The Health Regulator for donor eggs.

For more information on the process involved, read this information sheet on known egg donor arrangements.

Once all the required steps have been completed and you are ready to start treatment, your egg donor will commence an IVF-stimulated cycle. This cycle aims to stimulate the donor’s ovaries with the intention of producing and retrieving several mature eggs – a process known as egg collection. The procedure involves light sedation and occurs in our purpose-built day procedures hospital in Box Hill.

The collected eggs are then fertilised with sperm and the resulting embryo/s are placed in an incubator in our lab to develop and grow. Following these steps, the embryo will then be transferred into your uterus (or the surrogate’s uterus, in the case of single men or same-sex male couples). This can be done either as a fresh embryo transfer within the same cycle or as a frozen embryo transfer down the track. Hopefully, the transferred embryo will implant in the wall of the uterus and lead to a successful pregnancy.

For more information on IVF, read how the IVF process works.

Where can I find more information?

Our donor and surrogacy team are available to assist with any queries or questions you have about egg donation. For further information, please email [email protected].

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the screening process for egg donors?

    Egg donors are carefully screened to ensure they are healthy, fertile and not at an increased risk of passing on an inherited genetic condition to their offspring. Screening typically includes medical history assessment, physical examination, genetic carrier screening, baseline ultrasound, infectious disease screening, and psychological evaluation.

  • Do recipients know the identity of egg donors?

    In Victoria, you may choose to have treatment using the eggs, sperm or embryos from someone that you know (such as a friend or family member), in which case all your identifying information is shared. It’s also common for people to access identity-release (IR) donors, who have provided their eggs sperm or embryos to Newlife IVF’s donor program. If you choose to access treatment using an IR donor, neither the donor nor recipient share identifying information. The identity of the donor can be requested from the Central Register when a donor-conceived person turns 18 if requested.

  • What are the success rates of using donor eggs?

    Success rates of using donor eggs in IVF depend on various factors, including the age and fertility status of the egg donor, the quality of the eggs retrieved, the recipient’s age and fertility status, the quality of the sperm provider, and the expertise of the fertility clinic. On average, the success rate of using donor eggs in IVF ranges between 40–60% per embryo transfer.

  • Is it legal in Victoria to access an egg donor?

    The legal requirements for using donor eggs vary depending on the country and jurisdiction. In many countries, using donor eggs in assisted reproductive treatments such as IVF is legal, but there may be regulations governing donor screening, consent, anonymity and compensation. In Australia, all states have different legal requirements. Victorian clinics are required to provide extensive counselling and consenting, and all donations – regardless of whether they are identity release (IR) or known – must be altruistic (donating to help others).

  • What are the emotional considerations of using donor eggs?

    There are various emotional considerations for both the egg recipient and the donor, including feelings of gratitude, grief and loss, and adjusting to a different idea of family-building. Newlife IVF offers comprehensive counselling services to help donors and recipients navigate the potential emotional responses and make informed decisions.

  • What are the ethical considerations for using donor eggs?

    When using donor eggs, the ethical considerations to keep in mind include ensuring there is informed consent of all parties involved, maintaining confidentiality and privacy, preventing exploitation of donors, recipients, or donor-conceived people, and addressing issues of genetic connection and identity.

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Get in touch

For more information or to book an appointment with one of our fertility doctors, please call (03) 8080 8933 or email [email protected]. Fertility appointments can also be booked via our online booking page.

Our three Melbourne clinics are based in Box Hill, Clayton and East Melbourne and are open Monday–Friday: 8:00am–5:00pm. We welcome patients from all over Victoria, as well as those seeking care interstate or internationally. All fertility treatment requiring day surgery or lab access (e.g. egg collection, embryo transfer) will take place at our state-of-the-art treatment centre in Box Hill. Fertility consultations and IVF cycle monitoring can be arranged at all three Melbourne clinics.

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