As the name suggests, the process in which a woman donates eggs to another woman to enable her to conceive through an infertility treatment is Egg Donation. Egg Donation is mostly done for treatments like IVF in which the egg is fertilized outside the mother’s body and then implanted in the mother’s uterus. Egg donors provide an invaluable gift to someone who cannot otherwise have a child. However, this decision is serious and requires commitment and careful thought.
7 Misconceptions about egg donation
Following are some myths related to egg donation. Whether you are planning to donate or looking for a donor, these myths should be debunked:
Egg donation depletes woman’s eggs
A woman is born with around one to two million eggs in her ovaries. She loses only a few hundred eggs in her lifetime through ovulation. In every donation cycle, 10 to 15 eggs are removed. So donating eggs in no way will deplete a woman’s eggs.
Anyone can become an egg donor
Not all women are eligible for egg donation. Egg donation can be done only if you qualify for the below-mentioned criterion-
• Age. A woman at age 21 to 30 are the best candidates for egg donation.
• Intact ovaries in good health.
• BMI under 25
• Clear family history of inheritable diseases
• Educational qualification in some cases etc.
Donating eggs can cause infertility
Just like any other medical procedure, some women may develop an infection, bleeding, ovarian torsion etc but infertility is not one of those. There is no evidence to show that donating eggs causes infertility.
Conceived child will not have any genes of the mother
The idea that a mother will have no genetic inheritance to baby is sometimes a concern for a new mother. However scientific understanding shows that mothers can pass on some genes to their child.
Donating eggs is painful
The process of retrieval of an egg from a woman is itself painless and the patient is sedated for the procedure. However, some women may experience nausea, cramping, bloating etc. This is due to the hormone shots administered to the donor two weeks prior to the extraction/donation
There is no limit to donating eggs
According to the guidelines of the society of reproductive medicine, a woman can ideally donate her eggs only 6 times. However, the interval or time in between two donations is determined by the consultant doctor.
Egg donation can cause cancer
Recent scientific studies fail to show any relation between donating eggs and ovarian cancer. But research in this field is going on.
Donating eggs can be the noblest cause as it will give a family a hope to have a kid. Whether you are planning a baby or planning to become an egg donor, it is always better to first do your research and then dive into the process.
