Information About the Egg Donation Process in Different Countries
United States
In the United States, egg donation is legal in all states, the only difference being the compensation given to egg donors. Typically, egg donors are required to be within the age range of 20 to 29 years old and should have no genetic conditions, history of substance abuse, or smoking habits.
The egg donation process involves thorough screening, including psychological assessments, genetic testing, and fertility evaluations, ensuring that donors are suitable candidates for the procedure. Compensation for egg donors can range from $8000 to $14000, influenced by the quality of the eggs and the desirability of the donor's attributes. While the donation is typically kept anonymous, recipients are often provided with a photograph and a general description of the donor.
To maintain the health and well-being of the donors, there is a national guideline established by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which restricts women from donating more than six times in their lifetime. This regulation aims to balance the potential benefits of egg donation with the donor's safety and long-term health
United Kingdom
Egg donation is legal in the UK, and it is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Egg donors are not- anonymous in the UK, meaning that the offspring can request the donors: full name, date of birth, and last known postal address when he/she turns 18, whereas the recipient will not have access to thes. Donors need to be between the ages of 18-35, they need to be free of any inheritable diseases or genetic disorders. Donors are allowed to help 10 families create offspring in the UK ( which means donors can undergo a maximum of 4-6 donation cycles total), and they are compensated £750 per egg donation cycle.
The UK has a wealth of ethnic diversity, therefore this country could be an attractive place for hard to find ethnicities such as African or Asian. The cost to use donor eggs with IVF starts at £8,250 but can go up to £20,000 depending on how many eggs you purchase and cycles you undergo. IVf with egg donors is not cheap in the UK, however you have the benefit of the diversity in the UK when choosing egg donors, the fact that single women, heterosexual couples and same sex couples can use donor eggs and the fact that there is no official age limit for IVF in the UK. Of course, different clinics have different rules on treating women post 50, however the LondonEggBank, the largest egg bank in the UK, treats women up until they turn 54 and 3 months.
China
Contrary to the egg donation practices in the West, in China the only type of egg donation allowed follows an egg sharing model, wherein only infertile Chinese women undergoing rounds of IVF are allowed to donate their extra oocytes. Fertile women are not allowed to donate their eggs to others, and commercial transactions are strictly prohibited. Potential egg donors need to have 20 or more oocytes retrieved during their own rounds of IVF, and 15 are kept for the women undergoing the procedure, and the rest are donated. The eggs must be cryopreserved meaning that there is no option for fresh cycle transfers. Six months after these remaining eggs have been donated, the egg sharers must come back to the clinic to test for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, along with other infectious diseases.
This model makes it almost impossible for women seeking donor eggs to receive them, as the egg sharer’s interest, and desire for a successful pregnancy outcome outrank the need and sometimes desperation of other women. Another issue with this model, is that the women who are recruited as potential egg sharers either have cases of mild fertility issues (blocked fallopian tubes), or are with a partner experiencing fertility issues. This raises two concerns: the first is , in order to make the most out of these potential egg sharers, they are often given a higher dose of gonadotropins which not only increase the risk of OHSS (Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome), the second being, this style of recruitment may lead to a poorer quality of eggs, as they are taken from women who are not the most fertile. It is also important to note that where regulation has been so stringent, it has allowed the opportunity for a black market of egg donors to emerge. With everything done under secrecy, it is hard to ensure the safety for both parties involved.
Singapore
In Singapore, Egg donation is permitted, however commercial egg donation is not. This means that you cannot get paid to be an egg donor nor can you compensate an egg donor. The most you can do is reimburse an egg donor for any expenses she incurred (i.e travel). Generally speaking, since there are not a lot of women coming forward to donate their eggs in Singapore, if you want to use donor eggs, it would be easier to find the egg donor yourself. The requirements to find an egg donor in Singapore is that she is under 36 years old, she cannot be related to the husband, the donation is altruistic, and that the donor has undergone all relevant genetic tests. There are clinics such as Virtus Fertility Centre that recruit donors regularly, however it is not clear how many donors they have to select from.
One way that couples can benefit from egg donations in Singapore is by having a Freeze and Share program, in which women who have chosen to donate their eggs, can give up half of the eggs collected, provided that the expectant couple pays for most of the cost associated with IVF for the donor. It is not clear if Freeze and Share is a common arrangement in Singapore, however this program would help with the shortage of donated eggs.
Korea
According to the Bioethics and Safety Act in Korea, Article 23 states that ‘No person shall provide or use an embryo, ovum, or spermatozoon for money, an interest in property, or any other consideration, solicit another person to provide or use an embryo, ovum, or spermatozoon for such consideration, or act as a broker for providing or using an embryo, ovum, or spermatozoon’. Anyone acting in violation of this article could face up to three years in prison. This means that commercial egg donation is not permitted but altruistic donation is. Of course, with no financial incentives in place for Korean women to donate their eggs, complicated by the fact that donation of eggs is taboo in Korean cultural society, unsurprisingly there is a scarcity of egg donors.
For this reason many Korean couples struggling to conceive often go abroad in search of donor eggs and sperm. Taiwan and Hawaii have been proven to be popular locations for couples to receive fertility treatment using donor eggs. The Fertility Institute of Hawaii has partnered with The MED Hawaii (based in Korea) to coordinate treatment for couples residing in Korea. Prices for IVF with donor eggs in Hawaii range from $16000-$26000 depending on whether or not the donor is anonymous.
Japan
Japan uses Assisted Reproductive Technology more than any other country in the world. Ths could be due to the fact that they are trying to reverse the trend in their population demographics, but despite these efforts, access to assisted reproductive technologies has not made much of a difference to the overall fertility rate in Japan. In Japan, egg donation is not legal or illegal as there is no specific legislation mentioning egg donation. The lack of legal clarity surrounding egg donation has meant individuals, cultural norms and attitudes have been shaping the accessibility of the egg donation procedure and access to donated eggs. Currently, the Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology announced that the use of an egg from a third party is forbidden, however the Japanese Institution for Standardizing Assisted Reproductive Technology (JISART) announced that couples could use egg donors, provided they could not conceive due to factors excluding age related infertility. This is not very helpful as most couples seeking donor eggs need them because they are experiencing age -related fertility issues. Nevertheless, let’s say you fit the criteria provided, would there be any other obstacles getting in the way? Absolutely. Firstly, many Japanese people think using donor eggs is unethical, and this is highlighted by a survey conducted in 2011, where 47.5% of doctors surveyed said they would refuse treatment to a couple who was hoping to give birth via egg donation. Up until recently, The Japanese Ministry of Justice asserted that couples and children with no blood relationship have no legal parent-child relationship; however in 2020, the national legislative body of Japan has made a ruling that women using donor eggs were to be seen as the mother, and a husband who consents to his wife giving birth with donated sperm will be unable to deny that he is the child's father.
Although this is a step in a positive direction, due to the lack of clear guidelines in treating couples with donor eggs, there are many questions that are difficult to answer: such as what is the age limit to receive treatment? Can someone infected with HIV or Hepatitis receive treatment? Do couples have to be married to receive treatment ?
Perhaps due to the unclear guidelines and regulation, a lot of Japanese couples prefer to go abroad to get treatment. Taiwan and Hawaii have been attractive options for these couples due their proximity to Japan, the plethora of Asian egg donors and clear and accessible information and legislation. Egg donation in Japan leaves a lot to be desired, so it is not recommended as a location to receive treatment.
Malaysia
Women are allowed to donate their eggs in Malaysia, however any compensation for donated eggs is considered illegal. According to regulations introduced by theMalaysian Medical Council, Guideline 003/2006 related to assisted reproduction, it is strictly prohibited to sell gametes, semen, or embryos. There is no clear legislation to suggest that egg donors cannot be compensated for their time. Since there is no clear regulation on how much women may be compensated in Malaysia, it is hard to get an exact figure on how much women donating their eggs can receive, but due to the wide selection of available donated eggs it can be assumed that these women are getting paid, however it is not clear how clinics are working around the guidelines set by the Malaysian Medical council. The requirements to be an egg donor in Malaysia are as follows: The egg donor is non-Muslim, the egg donor at the time of donation was between 21-35 years of age, the egg donor has undergone genetic testing, and the egg donor has reported their medical history accurately. The average price of using donated eggs in conjunction with IVF in Malaysia spans from $5300-$8600. There are no age restrictions on women who undergo IVF in Malaysian law, however most clinics have an upper age limit of 53 years.
Greece
Egg donation is completely legal in Greece, however the egg donation has to be for altruistic reasons not for monetary gain. Egg donors can be compensated for their time and discomfort during the whole egg stimulation and collection process, and they are usually compensated £1200-£1500 per cycle. The criteria for women to be able to donate their eggs is that they are 18-35 years old , have a healthy BMI, no family history of transmissible diseases or genetic conditions. Egg donors can choose to be totally anonymous to the child born through their donation or they can allow the child to access certain identifiable details about them when they turn 18. The limit for children born through donation from an egg donor is 10. The age limit for women who wish to use donor eggs in Greece is 54 years old. As there is a shortage of donor eggs worldwide, it is important to note that most clinics in Greece would like the woman using donor eggs to have a history of failed pregnancies using her own eggs before looking to use donor eggs. Women using donor eggs can have a maximum of 2 embryos transferred at the same time. The average price of IVF with donor eggs in Greece is £5,500-£8000.
Portugal
In Portugal egg donation is legal, however there are a few requirements that the potential egg donors need to meet. The first is that they are between the ages of 18-35, the donor must be physically fit and healthy and not have any genetic conditions that may put the offspring at risk. The donors can donate a maximum of 4 times in their life. The donation is non anonymous- meaning that the offspring has the option to find out identifiable details of the egg donor when he/she turns 18. The donors are reimbursed for their time and effort for undergoing the procedure and receive €878 per donation cycle. The price of using donor eggs with your sperm of choice for IVF starts at €6,300 but could cost up to €7,300. As Portugal has a very diverse population it is a great destination for couples who would need eggs from ethnic minorities, particularly donors with African heritage. Czech Republic: The Czech Republic allows for egg donation to take place. The egg donors must be anonymous, meaning the offspring born through donation will never find out anything about the egg donor. Even though this arrangement may be preferential for the intended parents, it is important to understand the emotional implications of children born through donation not knowing who they actually came from, and the disadvantage they carry not knowing their own genetic history when it comes to their own health. Of course since egg donation is legal in the Czech republic, there are certain requirements and prerequisites the potential donors need to meet in order to donate their eggs. Must be between the ages of 18-35, egg donors can not donate more than 5 times, and the donors cannot test positive for any infectious diseases. Egg donors in the Czech Republic can expect to get compensated between £500-600 per donation cycle. SIngle women and same sex couples cannot use donor eggs, and the age limit for IVF with donor eggs is 49 years old. The cost of using donor eggs along with IVF in the Czech Republic ranges from €4500 to €8000. Since there is an anonymity law in place to prevent offspring from finding out the identity of the donor, it can be inferred that there are many donors available to choose from, however it is important to keep in mind that the donors ethnicity will be predominantly European, so if you require a donor with another ethnicity it would be advisable to go to Portugal or the UK.
The Netherlands
Egg Donation is completely legal in the Netherlands, the only caveat is that egg donors are not allowed to remain anonymous. Interestingly enough, once the offspring of the donor turns 12, the parents are allowed to request information about the donor. Some of the information they would have access to are : hair color, eye color, occupation and education. By law all egg donation/ sperm donation banks need to register their donors with Stichting Donorgegevens Kunstmatige Bevruchting (the Donors’ Personal Details Registration Association). On the child's 16th birthday, the offspring has the right to find out identifying details from the donor (name, date of birth, etc). In order to qualify as an egg donor, you must be between the ages of 23-35, physically and mentally healthy, you have a fixed address in the Netherlands, your family does not have a history of hereditary disease, you are not HIV positive. It is illegal to pay a donor for her eggs, however the egg donors are compensated €680 per cycle as well as €,19/km. Heterosexual couples, single women and gay and lesbian couples are able to use the donor eggs, this type of inclusivity is rare in Europe, and thus must be considered. The cost of using donor eggs in the Netherlands is about €10,000 making it one of the most expensive countries in Europe to receive treatment with donor eggs.
Australia
Egg Donation is legal in Australia, and there are specific rules an egg donor needs to follow in order to go ahead. In Australia only non-anonymous egg donations are permitted, meaning any offspring the donor helped create would be able to find out the donor’s identity when they turn 18. All donors must undergo psychological evaluation before being approved to go through the process. They are also tested for various genetic diseases, as well as screened for their medical history. The women donating must be between 18-32 years of age and physically fit and healthy. In terms of how much the women are compensated for the egg donation, this varies from clinic to clinic, however there are some clinics that offer $(AUD)5000 per egg donation cycle.
In terms of the rules put on the people using donor eggs: The age limit for women using donor eggs is 51 years, single women and same sex couples can use donor eggs. If you are in a male same sex relationship and you would like to use a surrogate, there are some places in Australia that ban surrogacy use for same sex couples - the Australian Capital Territory and the State of Western Australia.
The cost to use an egg donor is around $(AUD)5,000-$15,000. Part of the costs included are the donor remuneration, medical examination and testing fees for the egg donor, and your own costs of using the donor eggs for your own pregnancy. You cannot cover the cost of egg donation in Australia through public or private health insurance- however many clinics offer financing plans for the treatment.