Donor Program
Become an Egg Donor
Why become a donor?
Many families in South Australia exist because someone chose to donate their eggs. For some women, donor eggs are the only way they can become a mother.
She might be a woman whose ovaries stopped working early, or who reached menopause in her thirties. She might have lost her fertility through cancer treatment, or carry a genetic condition she doesn't want to pass on to her children. Many have already been through a long and difficult journey, and a donor can give them a real chance of carrying and giving birth to their own baby.
We won't pretend egg donation is easy. It takes time and commitment, including around two weeks of hormone injections and an egg collection under anaesthesia. It's a truly generous, altruistic choice, and our team will support you at every step, at your pace and with no pressure.
Very few people offer to donate eggs in Adelaide, so every donor makes a real difference. One egg donation usually helps one or two families, and for each of them, that can mean everything.
Already have frozen eggs you no longer need? Find out about donating your frozen eggs.
Who can be a donor?
Prospective egg donors must be:
- Australian citizens or permanent residents;
- aged under 35 years;
- in good general health;
- able to provide a family medical history (self, children, siblings, parents and grandparents);
- able to attend appointments in work hours (counselling, medical assessments and screening tests); and
- agreeable to a donor-conceived person who has reached the age of 18 years receiving your identifying details, should they request them.
What will I need to do?
Meet with one of our fertility doctors
A fertility doctor will explain how the egg donation program at Flinders Fertility works. They will take a medical history, with emphasis on inherited disorders, as well as a personal history of physical or psychological disabilities.
They will arrange blood tests to check your egg reserve, along with health and genetic screening tests. Once you have met the screening requirements and decided to enter the program, the fertility doctor will sign consent forms with you.
Meet with our counsellor
Donating your eggs is a big decision and should be considered carefully. Donors meet with our counsellor on at least two occasions to discuss the legal aspects of egg donation, confidentiality, and how to talk about your decision with your current or future partner.
Donors who have a partner will be asked to come to at least one of these meetings with their partner. The counselling service is available to you on an ongoing basis, free of charge.
Hormone treatment
You will have around two weeks of hormone injections to help your ovaries mature several eggs at once. Our nurses will show you how to give the injections, which most people find quick and easy to do at home.
During this time, you'll have blood tests and ultrasound scans so your doctor can check how you're responding and time your egg collection.
Egg collection
Your eggs are collected in a short procedure under anaesthesia at Glenelg Day Surgery, just upstairs from our clinic. You'll need someone to take you home afterwards and should plan to rest for the remainder of the day.
Are there any health risks with egg donation?
Your doctor will talk you through the possible side effects of hormone treatment and egg collection before you consent, and monitor you closely throughout.
If screening shows you carry a genetic condition, your doctor and counsellor will explain what this means for you and your family, and whether you can continue in the program.
Frequently asked questions
Our clinic will create a non-identifying donor profile with information about your physical characteristics and social history. Where possible, similar information is also recorded about your parents.
Donors are also asked to write a personal statement for recipients about their reasons for donating and about themselves. This helps recipients better understand the person you are.
In Australia, it is illegal to be paid for donating eggs. However, there are no costs to you as an egg donor. The donor registration fee paid by recipients covers your appointments, laboratory and counselling costs.
Under South Australian law, a clinic egg donor is not a legal parent of any child born and has no parenting or financial responsibilities. The child is the legal child of the woman who gives birth and her partner.
It is Flinders Fertility policy that the number of families created from any one donor be restricted to 10 (or fewer if the donor chooses).
A donor has the right to be told the number and sex of the children born from her donation. She can also withdraw her consent for her eggs to be used, although this does not prevent recipients from using embryos already in storage. The donor coordinator will contact you each year to confirm your consent and update your details.
Any child born from donated eggs can request access to their donor's identifying details once they turn 18. This information is held on the Donor Conception Register run by SA Health.
Many donor-conceived people want to understand more about their background, their medical history, or the person who helped bring them into the world. You are under no obligation to have or remain in contact, and our counsellors will help you think through how you might feel should contact occur.
Possibly. If you froze eggs for your own use and no longer need them, you may be able to donate them to help another family.
You'll need to meet the same eligibility criteria as other egg donors, including your age when your eggs were frozen. You'll also meet with a fertility doctor and our counsellor, complete health and genetic screening, and sign new consent forms. Some tests may need to be repeated.
Because your eggs have already been collected, you won't need hormone injections or another egg collection. If your eggs are stored at another clinic, talk to our donor coordinators about whether they can be transferred to Flinders Fertility.
Want to find out more?
Want to find out more?
To find out more please contact our donor coordinator on (08) 8155 5333 or via email at donor@flindersfertility.com.au. Alternatively, you can arrange a chat with our patient care team or book an appointment with one of our fertility doctors. For information about treatment costs, you may wish to speak to our Finance team by calling (08) 8155 5333.