Egg Donor Rights and Responsibilities

Donating your eggs is a unique and rewarding experience. But along with compassion, it requires a lot of your time and commitment. You’ll be expected to take on some very significant responsibilities during the process, so you should be well aware of what’s involved as well as your rights as an egg donor.

Egg donor responsibilities

Transportation 

This may sound like a no-brainer, but having your own reliable transportation is a must. Egg donors have to visit the fertility clinic many times throughout the donation process, sometimes with very little notice. A valid driver’s license and a car are required to become an egg donor. 

Communication

Many parts of the egg donation process are time-sensitive, so egg donors must be in close contact with the fertility center. You’ll be expected to return all phone calls and emails within 24 hours.

Personal health

When you’re donating eggs to someone, they will want to know they are the healthiest eggs available. After all, this is their long-awaited chance to have a child of their own. 

That’s why egg donors must be doing everything they can to be as fit and healthy as possible. You’ll need to be a non-smoker and not be using any illegal or recreational drugs (this includes marijuana). Alcohol is also off-limits for about two weeks during the stimulation period.

Your genetic material is obviously very important, so you’ll be expected to complete a psychological and medical screening once the Intended Parents have selected you. The medical screening will involve a physical exam to confirm you are physically healthy and that you can safely receive stimulation medications. You’ll also have to undergo a series of FDA tests in the 30 days prior to the egg retrieval process to rule out specific conditions. 

Next is your psychological screening. This will involve detailed questions about your mental health history, also that of your family. Details about your family’s mental health history are necessary to screen for any biological patterns of mental illness. 

The egg donation medical process 

A fear of needles could make egg donation difficult for some: you’ll need to commit to injections of hormone medication for approximately two weeks. This requires inserting a short needle into the subcutaneous tissue under your skin. Most clinics recommend injecting into your belly or your thighs as the fatty tissue here makes it less painful.

Sex is also off-limits for a short time (about three weeks) while you’re undergoing hormonal stimulation. Abstaining from sexual intercourse eliminates the risk of accidental pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted disease, which would interrupt your egg donation. And although the risk is low, there’s a chance that the ovaries or fallopian tubes can twist during sexual intercourse. 

Legal considerations

Knowing your legal obligations as an egg donor is the most important part of the process, which is why a good lawyer is crucial. When you become an egg donor with Family Source Consultants, you’ll be provided with a lawyer at no cost.

Egg donors are strongly encouraged to be open with their lawyer about any concerns they may have before they sign a donor contract. Your lawyer will help guide you through the legal side of the egg donation contract, which can be quite confusing if you’re not used to legal jargon. This also helps to ensure that you know where you stand throughout the process and afterward. 

What should be in your egg donor contract?

Your egg donor contract is a legal, written agreement between yourself and the Intended Parents. This contract is separate from the one you sign with your egg donor agency. Your egg donor contract states the rights and obligations of both parties throughout the arrangement and in the future.

Your attorney will ensure that your contract includes:  

• The intent, rights, and obligations of both the intended parents and the egg donor
• Details regarding a trust or escrow account for your compensation and/or reimbursements 
• A statement about the Intended Parents’ legal control over retrieved eggs and embryos, including measures for disposition or donation of frozen embryos.
• The finer details of all reimbursements for your medical procedures, travel, complications insurance, communication, and any other costs. 
• A plan for potential risks, liabilities, and conflicts
• The boundaries of your relationship with the child (this is usually only applicable to known donors)
• Make sure you understand every clause in the contract and how it applies to you. Be sure to read everything carefully and ask for clarification if you need it. 

Egg donor rights

As an egg donor, your contract will explicitly state that you have no legal property rights to the eggs you have donated or any children that may develop from those eggs. This also means you have no legal or financial obligations towards the children. All of your parental rights and responsibilities are waived, and you will never be expected to offer any child support or other financial aid. 

Need more information about egg donation?

Remember, if you have any questions, the friendly team at FSC is always on hand to help! Even if you’re just thinking about becoming an egg donor, feel free to get in touch.