{"id":3113,"date":"2025-11-20T15:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/genesisathens.ro\/donare-ovocite-ghid-complet\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T13:23:02","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T13:23:02","slug":"egg-donation-what-it-is-how-it-works-when-its-advised","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/genesisathens.ro\/en\/egg-donation-what-it-is-how-it-works-when-its-advised\/","title":{"rendered":"Egg Donation | What It Is, How It Works & When It\u2019s Advised"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Egg donation is an assisted reproduction solution offered to women who cannot conceive with their own eggs. This happens because the quality of the eggs is poor, or there are no eggs left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Egg donation has both medical and human importance. In Romania, egg donation is legal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donation is a voluntary and anonymous medical act, regulated by European directives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Genesis Athens Clinic is a Centre of Excellence in Infertility Treatment. It is authorised and has international experience in egg donation programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Egg Donation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Egg donation means collecting eggs from a young, healthy donor and using them in IVF treatments for another patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donation is a voluntary and anonymous medical act, regulated by European directives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor will collect the eggs from the donor. Then they are prepared by the embryologists. The donated eggs will be fertilised with the sperm of the beneficiary\u2019s partner (the future father).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Egg Donation Is Recommended<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Egg donation is recommended:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • If you no longer have eggs in your ovaries (menopause).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • If the eggs remaining in the ovaries are no longer viable, it means the ovarian reserve is low. A woman\u2019s age affects both the quality and quantity of eggs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    In these situations, the only solution for achieving pregnancy is in vitro fertilization (IVF) with donated eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Egg donation is indicated for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Women with low ovarian reserve or premature menopause<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Genetic conditions that do not allow the use of their own eggs<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Repeated IVF failures<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Patients who have undergone ovarian surgery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Women who have received oncological treatments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Why Oncological Treatments Destroy Eggs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Chemotherapy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Chemotherapy reduces the number of eggs (the ovarian reserve), which makes it difficult for the mother to become pregnant naturally. Chemotherapy is designed to target rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic of many cancer cells. Eggs, like other reproductive cells (sperm), divide rapidly during their development and are therefore vulnerable to the effects of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Chemotherapy drugs can damage the DNA of eggs, which prevents normal cell division and leads to cell death. Chemotherapy can cause partial or complete destruction of eggs and therefore impairs ovarian function, including fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Radiotherapy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      At the same time, radiotherapy reduces the number of healthy eggs in the ovaries. Radiotherapy applied to or near the abdomen, pelvis, or spine damages the nearby reproductive organs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Radiotherapy is a cancer treatment method that uses high-energy radiation, such as X-rays, gamma rays, electrons, or protons, to destroy cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying. It can be used as a main treatment on its own, or in combination with other therapies (chemotherapy, surgery).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Radiotherapy acts by directly destroying the DNA of cancer cells or by forming reactive chemical compounds that damage their structure. It also destroys the DNA of eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For this reason, before starting cancer treatments, it is recommended to cryopreserve your own eggs, which can be used later, when you are healthy again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you did not cryopreserve eggs before oncological treatments, you can use donated eggs for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Eligibility Criteria for Egg Donors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Who donates eggs?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Young women (20\u201334 years old) donate eggs voluntarily and without financial benefit for the act of egg donation. A young woman who wants to donate eggs goes to an accredited clinic for egg donation. In order for the process to be ethical, she does not receive payment for donation, but her travel, accommodation, procedure costs, hormonal stimulation, and medical tests are covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In Romania, eggs cannot be donated for payment. The act of donation falls under transplant legislation, and paid donation is easily associated with possible organ trafficking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How Egg Donation Is Performed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Evaluation of the Donor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The donor will undergo medical tests and genetic screening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Genetic screening:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Identification of hereditary diseases: the possibility that the donor could transmit certain genetic diseases to the embryo is investigated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Testing for common genetic conditions: tests usually target conditions such as cystic fibrosis or spinal muscular atrophy, which are inherited.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Other tests in the evaluation process:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Blood tests: general health is assessed, blood group and Rh factor are determined, and the donor is tested for infectious diseases (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Ultrasound: the condition of the uterus and ovaries is evaluated.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Urine tests: used to detect the use of prohibited substances and sexually transmitted infections (gonorrhoea, chlamydia).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Psychological screening:<\/strong> some clinics also perform a psychological evaluation in order to build a complete profile of the donor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          After this, the donor\u2019s ovarian stimulation treatment begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Ovarian Stimulation and Monitoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Ovarian stimulation treatment (donor):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          We stimulate the ovaries through specific medication so that they mature all the eggs that can be matured in a given month. Normally, the body is able to mature only one egg per month. The rest of the eggs that begin to mature in that month are lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Through ovarian stimulation, we do not lose these eggs. The egg is protected by the follicle, a small fluid-filled sac. The follicle is visible on ultrasound. Monitoring the number and growth of follicles during treatment is done through transvaginal ultrasound and hormonal blood tests. These analyses allow the precise determination of the optimal moment for egg collection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Egg Collection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          Egg collection is performed by puncture, under ultrasound guidance, with sedation. The procedure lasts only a few minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Fertilization and Transfer to the Recipient<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          After collection, the eggs can follow two paths: either immediate in vitro fertilization with the sperm of the future father (the male partner), or freezing by a technique called vitrification, which allows long-term storage without affecting their viability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Frozen eggs can be fertilised later, when the recipient is ready for embryo transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Process for the Recipient<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          The recipient is the future mother and the patient who receives the donated eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Synchronising donor and recipient:<\/strong>
          The donor\u2019s menstrual cycle must be synchronised with that of the recipient. When the eggs need to be collected, the patient is called to the clinic and undergoes ovarian puncture under anaesthesia. Egg retrieval is guided by ultrasound and is a short procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Special preparation is also required for the woman who will receive the eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Preparing the Recipient\u2019s Endometrium for Embryo Transfer<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          The recipient will undergo special preparation of the endometrium so that the pregnancy has the best chance to implant in the uterus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Embryo transfer:<\/strong>
          As a result of IVF, embryos are formed and cultured in the laboratory. Embryo transfer is performed on day 5 of development (blastocyst stage) so that implantation chances are maximised<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Pregnancy test:
          <\/strong>The recipient will have a pregnancy test three weeks after embryo transfer to confirm or rule out pregnancy. This consists of blood tests, accompanied by an ultrasound scan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The pregnancy will then be monitored in the same way as any other pregnancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Complete Preparation for the Recipient (the Woman Who Will Carry the Pregnancy)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          The recipient (the woman who will carry the pregnancy) will undergo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n