Egg / Sperm donors

Egg Donation Procedure - What being a donor involves

We will always do our best to accommodate your needs.

• The first step is to read this information pack and if you have any questions please call the Egg
Donation Department on 0207 224 0707, Mondays to Fridays between 09.00 and 17.00.
• Please complete the attached registration form and send it to us when you feel that you are ready to
become a donor. As soon as we receive your registration form, we will arrange a visit for you to
discuss the implications of donation with our Counsellor. This session lasts approximately 45
minutes.
• We will also arrange a consultation with a doctor who will outline the treatment, the procedures
involved and discuss the associated risks with you. You will be with the doctor for approximately
an hour and a half and you are welcome to bring a partner, friend or family member.
• We must arrange for blood tests to be carried out. These tests can be carried out at the initial
consultation if you are ready to proceed, however they can be arranged at a later date if you need
more time to think about your decision.
• The UK guidelines in accordance with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
requires all prospective donors to be screened for Full Blood Count, Blood Group, HIV I & II,
Hepatitis B, Hepatitis B core, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, HTLV I & II, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and CMV
(Cytomegalovirus), a virus found in about 80% of the population. We will also perform
chromosomal analyses and cystic fibrosis screening. These results will determine whether we will
be able to match you with a particular recipient.
• We will then arrange for you to have a hormone blood test on day 2 or 3 of your menstrual cycle.
This will give us an idea about your ovarian reserve (the ability of your ovaries to respond to
stimulants). You can either come to the clinic to have this done, or we can arrange for your blood to
be tested locally.
• You will then be matched with a recipient. Your cycle will then be co-ordinated by our egg
donation team. You are welcome to contact the Egg Donation Department at any time as we will be
coordinating your treatment cycle.
Your treatment cycle involves a series of self-administered injections, using an injection pen similar
to the insulin pen used by diabetics. The daily injections last for between 10 to 14 days. If you do
not feel comfortable doing this on your own, you can attend the clinic or we can arrange for a nurse
to come to your home or workplace.
• During the two-week course of injections you will need to have several vaginal ultrasound scans.
These scans will show us how many eggs you are producing and help to monitor the medication.
A donor will normally produce between 5 and 15 eggs in one cycle. You might also require
additional blood tests during this time. It may be possible for us to arrange for local scans and
blood tests. Please ensure that you read the enclosed information sheets regarding Ovarian
Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) and Complications of Assisted Conception.
• Once we are happy with the development of the eggs you will be booked for egg collection. You
will have an injection between 21:00 and 24:00 in the evening. The egg collection is performed
under sedation and occurs 36 hours after the injection. It takes about twenty minutes and is
generally performed in the morning. On the day of the egg collection you must bring someone
with you to accompany you home. We strongly advise that you use contraception in the form of
condoms throughout the egg donation cycle and for the time up until your next period because
there is an increased chance of pregnancy.
We would like you to be aware that you can withdraw from donation at any time up until the day of the
embryo transfer. There will be no pressure, but we ask you to keep us informed about your decision, as
we will have to make alternative arrangements.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority Directions dictate that gamete or embryo donors
can only achieve a maximum of ten families as a result of their donation. If you have donated
previously at this or another Centre, please inform the Egg Donation Department.
Counselling
You must see our counsellor to discuss the implications of your donation before treatment commences.
Should you wish to see a counsellor for support during or after your treatment, please call the Egg
Donation Department on 0207 224 0707 to arrange an appointment.
Regulations and Law
Since August 1991 a regulatory body called the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
regulates all UK centres undertaking fertility treatment and research. When we use donated gametes we
must register you with the HFEA, providing your name, date of birth, Passport number /NHS number and
physical characteristics. This information remains securely on the HFEA’s register.

Removal of donor anonymity:
“From 1st April 2005, all donors registering with UK clinics will be identifiable to people conceived using
their gametes when these people reach the age of 18. These donor-conceived people may apply to the
HFEA to receive the following identifying information about their donors:
- The donor’s name (and name at birth, if different)
- The donor’s date of birth and the town or district of birth
- Last known postal address (or address at time of registration)
The above information will only be given out by the HFEA to a child born as a result of the donation after
the child’s 18th birthday and only upon request made by the child.
The donor conceived child also have the right to be given the below non-identifying information from the
age of 16.
- Physical description
- Year and country of birth
- Ethnic group
- Whether the donor had any genetic children when they registered, number and sex.
- Other details the donor may have chosen to supply (e.g., occupation, religion and interests)
- Ethnic group of the donors parents
- Whether the donor was adopted or donor conceived (if they are aware of this)
- Marital status (at the time of donation)
- Details of nay screening and medical history
- Skills
- Reason for donating
- A goodwill message and a description of themselves as a person
The recipients will receive only non-identifying information about the donor at the time of treatment.
The HFEA also requires centres to notify them and the recipient couple, where the treatment has resulted
in a live birth or pregnancy, if there is knowledge of any congenital defect or abnormality in the donor’s
history. If the donor knew about, or ought reasonably to have known about, this history the recipient
couple are advised to seek their own legal advice.
Confidentiality
The donor and the recipients do not meet so that the donation can be kept anonymous, but it is possible for
the donor to know if the recipient has achieved a pregnancy and if a live birth occurred the donor has the
right to request the sex of the child/children and birth year.