How Many Times You Can Donate Eggs Per Year: Complete Guide On How To Donate Eggs Multiple Times
The number of times you can donate eggs per year depends on several factors, including the donation time frame and how quickly you move through egg donation screenings. Donating multiple times per year helps you fulfill the dreams of many future parents that want to start a family, and of course, increases the amount you are compensated for your donation. Keep reading for whether there are limits on how many times you can donate eggs per year, the amount of time it takes to donate eggs multiple times, and more frequently asked questions about donating eggs multiple times.
How Many Times You Can Donate Eggs Per Year?
You can donate eggs up to three or four times per year, depending on your egg donation timeline and the policy at the facility you’re donating at.
However, it’s important to know that you can only donate eggs six times in your lifetime, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). If you donate at one clinic six times, you cannot donate at any other clinic. This limit is for the safety of the donor and the future generations born using eggs from a single donor.
Why Is There A Limit To How Many Times You Can Donate Eggs Per Year?
ASRM has published a set of guidelines for donating eggs multiple times, which includes an upper limit of six donations in a donor’s lifetime, for the following reasons:
Donor’s Wellbeing
First and foremost, while donating eggs is a relatively straightforward process, it does involve a physical, mental, and time commitment. Repeat donors typically find it easier to donate their second or third time around. They know what to expect during the process and have already completed their preliminary screening, which shortens the length of time they have to wait to be eligible to donate
For eligible donors, there are very few physical health risks associated with donating eggs. However, the known risks include:
- Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome: This condition occurs when a person’s ovaries swell and leak into the body. It typically occurs when someone is receiving hormone medications to produce more eggs, but the risk is minimal and affects less than 1% of donors worldwide. At The World Egg and Sperm Bank, the risk is less than .01% due to our specialized systems and donor-first approach to care.
- Acute Procedural Risks: While the egg retrieval process is standardized and safe, it is still a medical procedure, which does carry some level of risk. However, this risk is minimal and affects fewer than .05% of patients.
Inadvertent Consanguinity
If you donate eggs to multiple families, and their offspring (who are not informed that they came from a single donor’s eggs) have a child together, this is called inadvertent consanguinity.
This would be a very rare situation. However, if a donor were allowed to donate hundreds of times, this situation becomes more possible. By setting a limit on the number of possible pregnancies resulting from an individual’s egg donation, there is a very minimal risk of inadvertent consanguinity.
How Donating Eggs Multiple Times Works
Donating Eggs For The First Time
On average, it will take 2-4 months for a person to donate eggs the first time and includes the following six steps:
- You are selected to donate and will be contacted by the clinic you registered to donate at.
- You will have blood drawn to complete genetic screening and will meet with a licensed mental health professional to complete a psychological screening.
- You will come into the clinic for an ultrasound and begin two weeks of hormones to help you mature more eggs. You’ll also come in for 3-5 additional visits while on hormone injections for blood draws and ultrasounds to make sure you’re feeling well and that the hormones are working.
- After 10-13 days of hormones, you are scheduled for an egg retrieval procedure.
- You receive reimbursement for your donation on the day of the retrieval, after the procedure is complete.
- After the procedure, donors may feel symptoms associated with menstruations. Most donors return to their normal lives 1-2 days after the procedure.
Read more about the egg donation process for more in-depth information about how the process works.
Subsequent Egg Donations
After your first time donating, subsequent donations only take 1-2 months.
This is because you have already finished your initial genetic and psychological screenings, are already registered with a donation facility, and are familiar with the egg donation process.
Most clinics do recommend that you have at least 1-2 menstrual cycles after donating to start the process again.
The donation and subsequent waiting period typically add up to a donor being able to donate 3-4 times per year, at most.
Final Word On How Many Times You Can Donate Eggs Per Year
A large majority of first-time egg donors feel compelled to donate more than once. Whether it’s because they’re more familiar with the process or they want to experience the joy of helping someone else build a family, they come and donate eggs multiple times .
You can change multiple lives by donating up to six times with The World Egg and Sperm Bank. Read our egg donation requirements to find out if you’re qualified to help create a family and receive compensation for doing so.
If you have questions about the egg donation process or about how many times you can donate eggs per year, contact The World Egg and Sperm Bank for free to ask any questions you have and to be guided through the egg donation process before deciding whether you’d like to apply.
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