What Are the Risks for Donating Female Eggs?

The advertisements proclaim that women can receive a large amount of money, usually thousands of dollars, for doing something that seems so simple: egg donation. Women are born with millions of immature eggs, just waiting to be harvested. By the time a female matures, it's nearer to 300,000. However, women thinking about donation should be aware of the risks involved. The fertility drugs used to produce viable eggs can have physical and psychological side effects, and the risks should be carefully considered before going ahead with the process.

Effects

• In a small number of cases, the actual egg retrieval process can cause infection or bleeding, which can result in the development of scar tissue on the fallopian tubes, causing eggs to have trouble being released. The use of fertility drugs such as gonadotropins can result in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, causing the ovaries to swell and cysts to form. It may also cause mild abdominal pain. Treatment is waiting for the fluid to disappear on its own or removal of excess fluid.

Considerations

• While monetary compensation is a strong pull for women who are considering donating their eggs, another compelling reason is because they possess genuine interest in helping infertile couples conceive. Speak to a medical professional about the pros and cons. For optimum egg production, donors should be in near-perfect health, not suffering from any sexually transmitted or inherited diseases, and under the age of 35.

Benefits

• For some women, the monetary compensation outweighs the risks. This group can include women who do not plan to have children in the future and those who have already given birth and also do not desire to have more children. Others are pleased with the altruistic aspect of donating their eggs.

Warning

• According to the New York State Department of Health, not all donors are fully informed about the donation process. Some women are not psychologically prepared to deal with the idea that there could be a child out in the world that shares her DNA, whom she knows nothing about. There is not enough data to determine whether egg donation affects the future fertility of the donor.

Benefits

• Because of the intensive screening procedure, it is possible that a woman who wants to become an egg donor can be diagnosed with a previously unknown illness or disease. The benefit in this case is that, while she is likely to be disqualified as a potential egg donor, the woman can receive proper medical treatment.