Become a Donor

Why Should I Donate My Eggs?

Becoming an egg donor is a unique opportunity to assist others in fulfilling their dream of becoming parents. Many individuals and couples cannot become pregnant without the assistance of an egg donor. You may know someone who has struggled with infertility and felt hopeless. There are thousands of people desperately searching for an egg donor like you who will give them hope. Your generous donation of eggs will give someone who is experiencing infertility the opportunity to experience the joy of parenthood. Giving the gift of life takes a limited amount of your time but will provide the recipients with a lifetime of happiness.

In addition to the personal satisfaction you will get from helping create a family, you will receive compensation for your inconvenience and time. All of your expenses are paid by the recipients, including travel fees if applicable. There is absolutely no cost to you.

The BHED Egg Donor Application Process

The ideal BHED egg donor is a woman between the ages of 21 and 29 who lives a healthy life, has a clean medical history. Additionally, we look for a donor who has completed some post-high-school studies, and is genuinely committed to the donation process.

The application process begins with our prescreening questionnaire that prospective egg donors complete online to help us determine if you are a potential candidate. If you meet our initial selection criteria, you will be notified that you can proceed to our long-form application, where you will complete your personal profile. The personal profile is one of the most important tools in assessing your suitability to become an egg donor. All information in your application is kept secure on our password-protected website.

Your profile will include information about you, your family, and your medical history, as well as a personal photo gallery. Once completed, your application will be reviewed. Should you meet all our program requirements you will be invited to an in-person or Skype interview, depending on where you are located. The interview is your opportunity to ask any questions about egg donation, and our opportunity to obtain additional information that will help us make our final determination.

If you are accepted into the egg donation program, your profile will become accessible to our registered recipients (also known as “Intended Parents”). The recipients will NOT see your personal contact information, including your last name, address, etc. Prior to your profile being activated, we require a current STD test and recent PAP smear. 

Some behaviors/conditions automatically disqualify women from our program.

These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. If you have been diagnosed with syphilis, chlamydia, or certain other infectious diseases within the last year (if treated, you must be disease-free for at least 12 months)
2. If you have a BMI (body mass index) which is beyond the currently accepted “healthy” levels
3. If you have traveled to or lived in the UK or Europe for 5 years during FDA-designated “mad cow risk” time periods
4. If you have a medical and/or family history of birth defects that required surgery (such as cleft lip, spina bifida, or a heart defect), Huntington's disease, hemophilia, Tay-Sachs disease, sickle cell anemia, major medical problems, mental disabilities, or psychiatric problems
5. If you have injected drugs or engaged in prostitution within the last five years
6. If you are a carrier of the gene or genetic mutation for certain diseases and syndromes
7. If you can’t pass a drug test, which also includes tests for alcohol and nicotine
8. If you have traveled to a Zika-affected country, you are not eligible to donate for six months
9. If you have received a tattoo or body piercing in the last 12 months. 

Once You Are Matched

The match begins when you are notified that recipients have selected you and you accept the match in writing.

To get started, you will have a consultation with a psychologist, who will determine if you are prepared to undertake and complete the donation process. You will also speak with a genetic counselor, who will ask detailed questions about your and your family’s medical history. Once these consultations are completed, you will go to the recipients’ fertility clinic for a thorough medical examination, including pelvic exam, bloodwork, and a transvaginal ultrasound to examine your ovaries. These evaluations are paid for by the recipients, and are necessary to ensure you are capable of completing the egg donation cycle safely and successfully.

After you have been medically cleared by the doctor, the legal contract between you and the recipients will be drafted. You will have a reproductive attorney who will review the contract with you to ensure that you understand all aspects of the donation process, including your responsibilities as a donor. Your attorney’s fees are paid for by the recipients.

Once the screening is completed and the contract is signed, you will receive your cycle calendar. The cycle will sometimes begin with a few weeks of birth control pills (to synchronize your menstrual cycle with the recipient’s). The next step is to stimulate egg production. You will be given follicle-stimulating hormones via injection for approximately nine to 12 days to increase the number of mature eggs your body will produce. You will be given instructions on how to properly administer the injections yourself. If you are unable to administer the injections yourself, you will have to arrange for someone to administer them for you. While you are taking the injectable medication, you will have frequent monitoring appointments with the doctor. These appointments will consist of blood tests and ultrasounds to determine the progress of follicle growth.

Once the follicles are mature, the doctor will set the date and time for your egg retrieval. Approximately 36 hours before retrieval, you will be given an injection to ensure that your eggs are ready to be harvested. The egg retrieval is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that requires a light general anesthetic and lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. The doctor will use a small ultrasound-guided needle inserted through the vagina to aspirate the follicles in both ovaries. Immediately following the surgery, you will rest in the recovery room for an hour or two.

Due to the administration of general anesthesia, you will need a companion to drive you home. You may not take an Uber or taxi home from your egg retrieval. It can take up to a week to fully recover, but generally donors return to normal activities the next day.

Things to Consider

As with any medical procedure, there are possible side effects and risks. Some women feel no or slight discomfort during their egg donation cycle. Others have varying symptoms which typically disappear following the retrieval procedure. In some cases, you might feel bloating, abdominal pain, pressure, and swelling, all of which will go away by your next period. Severe side effects are rare; the doctor will explain the various risks to you. Egg donation cycles have been done since 1984, with more than 10,000 retrievals annually in the US alone. There are no proven long-term effects of egg donation on a woman’s health or fertility.

Because pregnancy is a risk while on follicle-stimulating hormones, you will be required to abstain from sex while on these injections. You will also be asked to refrain from drinking alcohol and taking certain medications. The doctor will explain these restrictions to you in detail.

The time, attention to detail, and patience required of an egg donor is substantial. For your time, energy, and commitment, you are compensated twice: once with a financial payment and once with the sense of fulfillment you receive from helping to complete a family. First-time BHED donors receive a fee of $10,000 (higher for repeat egg donors and donors with certain attributes).

Donor Frequently Asked Questions

• Who Can Be An Egg Donor?
• Once I Become an Egg Donor, How Long Will It Take for Me to Get Matched?
• Will The Recipients Know Who I Am?
• Once Matched, How Long Will the Cycle Take?
• What is the Procedure for Retrieving the Eggs? Is the Egg Retrieval Painful?
• Will I Be Compensated?
• Are There Risks to My Fertility from Egg Donation?
• Will I Have to Travel For My Donation?
• Who Will Make My Travel Arrangements?
• Am I Responsible for My Expenses Related to the Donation Cycle?

Q: Who Can Be An Egg Donor?

BHED egg donors are healthy women, ages 21-29, with no major genetic/hereditary illnesses, who are committed to giving the gift of hope to a family that is struggling with infertility.

Q: Once I Become an Egg Donor, How Long Will It Take for Me to Get Matched?

Because choosing an egg donor is an extremely personal decision, the time period for a donor to be matched with the right family varies. It can happen as quickly as the same day. It may take a month or more. This is a very emotional process for the recipients and they are always looking at donor profiles for their perfect donor.

Q: Will The Recipients Know Who I Am?

Most donations are anonymous. However, some recipients and donors find an “open egg donation” very fulfilling as well. The decision to make a donation open requires both the donor and recipient's wholehearted agreement.

Q: Once Matched, How Long Will the Cycle Take?

A cycle for a first time donor will take 90-120 days, and 60-90 days estimated for a previous donor to complete a cycle. 

Q: What is the Procedure for Retrieving the Eggs? Is the Egg Retrieval Painful?

At the very end of the donation cycle, the egg donor will have daily monitoring. When the follicles have reached the desired maturity, the doctor will schedule the retrieval procedure. This is a half-hour procedure that requires a light anesthetic to be sure the donor doesn't move. The doctor uses an ultrasound-guided needle, inserted through the vagina, to collect the eggs from both ovaries.

After the procedure, the donor will be unable to drive for up to 24 hours, due to the anesthesia. Most donors rest for 24 hours after the retrieval, and most go back to their normal schedule the following day. In very rare cases donors may have a severe reaction to fertility drugs that will require additional medical treatment or hospitalization.

Q: Will I Be Compensated?

Egg Donors are compensated for the gift of hope they give to families struggling with infertility. At Beverly Hills Egg Donation, donors receive $10,000 and up for their first donation and $12,000 and up for subsequent donations. That fee is paid for the time and inconvenience of the donation. For donors who have donated more than once, the fee will increase by a standard amount. Special fees may be offered to donors who meet extraordinary standards.

Q: Are There Risks to My Fertility from Egg Donation?

The physicians we work with tell us that there are no proven long-term risks from egg donation per se; however, you should discuss any concerns you have with your physician and/or nurse.

Q: Will I Have to Travel For My Donation?

Should you decide to accept a match with a recipient whose doctor is out of your local area, you will be required to travel. Your monitoring is generally done at a doctor's office near you. You will need to be near the clinic where the retrieval is taking place for about a week prior to the donation, and for a short time following the retrieval. Each match, and each doctor, has their own requirements, and you will be informed of the time frame applicable to your match once you meet the doctor.

Q: Who Will Make My Travel Arrangements?

When you travel for your donation, Beverly Hills Egg Donation will make your travel arrangements. You will be allowed to bring one travel companion with you for assistance through the cycle.

Q: Am I Responsible for My Expenses Related to the Donation Cycle?

Travel-related expenses (beyond 25 miles) will be reimbursed, and your Cycle Coordinator will explain those details to you. Please follow her instructions carefully, keeping receipts, etc..