Do you know the procedure of egg donation? find out

Do you know the procedure of egg donation? find out

Egg donation is a procedure by which a healthy young woman donates eggs to a bank of the same name or to an assisted reproduction clinic. The purpose of this donation is that people with infertility problems have a way to achieve the desired pregnancy. The process is anonymous by law, therefore, the donor and the recipient patient of these ovules cannot know each other and their identity must be preserved. There are numerous tests that must be passed in order to be part of egg donation . If all of them affirm that the donor is in the required circumstances, then she will be admitted to the process.

Egg donation procedure

Egg donation is made up of several procedures that allow the extraction of the necessary eggs in these cases. The most important points to keep in mind are the following:

  • On the one hand, we are talking about a hormonal treatment whose objective is to carry out the ovarian stimulation of the donor.
  • On the other hand, follicular puncture takes place. It is the way to extract from the donor the eggs that have matured during the stimulation cycle to help the recipient patient.

Taking into account that during the procedure the woman feels various discomforts (lost working hours, commuting…) , all egg donors will receive financial compensation from the clinic where the treatment is carried out.

donación de óvulos

How can you donate eggs?

In Spain, egg donation began to take place in 1984. It is a process that, many times, becomes the only option for a woman to become a mother through her own pregnancy. In this way, as a general rule, women who want to participate in this procedure should think of doing it as an act of solidarity so that anyone who wants to be a mother has the opportunity to do so in the most natural way possible. There are circumstances in which women cannot remain pregnant, either due to premature ovarian failure or due to cancer . For this reason, after egg donation , certain limitations can be left behind, in part, so that any woman fulfills her desire to be a mother through her own pregnancy.

Requirements to donate eggs

Women who are willing to be part of the egg donation, before going to the clinic have to check that they meet the requirements required by law in Spain to be able to make the donation. These are the following:

  • Be between 18 and 35 years old
  • Being physically and psychologically healthy
  • Have normal ovulatory function
  • Know perfectly the medical history of the closest relatives
  • Not suffer from infections or genetic diseases that are hereditary
  • Have not given birth to more than six children

Steps to follow in egg donation

When a woman analyzes that she meets all the requirements that the law requires to be part of the egg donation , she can begin to take the first step of this procedure. In order to avoid any surprises as you progress through this journey, it is best to have all the necessary information at hand.

First informative visit

The first thing to do to be part of the egg donation procedure is a first visit to the clinic to resolve any doubts you may have and receive the appropriate information in these cases. This fact does not require any commitment. It is only a matter of the potential donor and the experts meeting to conduct an interview and verify that all the requirements required by Law are met. If this is the case and the woman has decided to be a donor, it will be signed. informed consent for the process to begin. At this point, the informed person is not yet an egg donor, since for this they have to undergo the corresponding medical tests.

donación de óvulos

Egg donor testing

In order to be an egg donor, you must pass and pass psychological and medical tests that correspond to the following:

  • Gynecological examination: An ultrasound is performed to find out how the ovarian reserve of the woman who is going to donate her eggs is.
  • Blood tests: The purpose is to check the blood group of the woman involved and also rule out infectious diseases such as hepatitis B and C, HIV and syphilis, among others.
  • Genetic study: At this point a karyotype is developed in order to know the donor’s chromosomes. Likewise, a study of carriers is carried out by means of DNA sequencing based on a test with the aim of analyzing more than six hundred possible genetic diseases of which the donor may be a carrier. This type of test is useful for life.
  • Psychological tests: Through several questionnaires and interviews with the psychologists of the clinic, the medical history of the woman involved and her relatives will be reported, it is verified that there is no type of psychological affectation or risk of it.

Ovule retrieval

There are two steps from which the ovules are obtained. These are the following:

  • Ovarian stimulation: Hormonal medication is administered daily to the donor so that the development of various follicles in her ovaries takes place. This process usually takes eight to ten days. Likewise, the donor must go to the clinic 3 times to find out if the stimulation is working through the corresponding small injections. Likewise, it will be possible to know what day is recommended to extract the ovules safely.
  • Follicular puncture: This is a very simple outpatient surgical intervention in which the ovules are extracted. The duration of this procedure is approximately 20 minutes and is performed under mild anesthesia. The doctor will extract the mature oocytes that have developed. After resting for a certain time in the recovery room, the donor will be able to return home that same day, following her usual routine. Two weeks later, she will have her period again, putting an end to the donation cycle.