Factors you have to consider when selecting an egg donor

Eran Amir

CEO and Founder of GoStork

Choosing your specific egg donor is one of the most personal and important decisions you’ll make. When reviewing profiles, you are presented with a large amount of information, but in this case, the more information the better! In this article we’ll list the criteria to consider as you go through your options.

Egg donor profiles

If you’re considering egg donation, chances are you’re also looking into egg donation agencies. Needless to say, choosing which agency to work with is a big decision in itself and many intended parents go to multiple agencies before they find their perfect donor.  

To make this process easier, GoStork offers over 10,000 egg donors from various egg donor agencies all in one place. You can then filter donors by your preferences, compare your options side-by-side, and directly connect with the agency of those you’re interested in. This means there’s no need to register at multiple agencies (some of which you even need to pay for) just to view limited numbers of egg donors at each. 

Egg donor profiles include the donor’s physical attributes, education level/achievements (such as grades and scores), medical history, as well as family history, among other elements such as ethnicity and religion. It’s admittedly a lot of information to go through –  to get started, you’ll want to decide what characteristics matter to you personally. Once you’re set on the specifics, here’s a list of criteria you’ll have to consider:

Factors to consider when selecting an egg donor

  • Age – Donor must ideally be between the ages of 21 and 30 but if you prefer one on either the younger or older end of that spectrum, that’s a valid decision
  • BMI – Donors must have a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18-27, but as far as the donor’s specific weight – that may be a consideration that’s important to you.
  • Medical History – Personal health history (ideally, a non-smoker, non-drug user and non-alcohol dependent, has no STDs, and is not undergoing treatment for depression or anxiety – these elements are pre-vetted and indicated for you to consider), family health history (ie. you would be looking for egg donor profiles with a low risk of passing on a genetic disease, paying attention to the disorders that are of highest concern to you).
  • Reproductive history –  If applicable, you’ll see information about ‘proven fertility’ in egg donor profiles, ie. a previous successful pregnancy shows that the donor has the potential to provide healthy eggs. You may also learn that the donor has donated eggs prior that resulted in a successful pregnancy.
  • Appearance – You’ll see the donor’s photos, (ideally current as well as from childhood) and – when available – videos, natural hair color, eye color, height, and, as already mentioned, you’ll see her weight. Many intended parents are interested in donors with similar physical features to themselves, while others are interested in dissimilar features. Again, these are personal decisions and any preference is of course valid.
  • Personal Background – This can range across heritage, religion, characteristics, education, career, and even criminal record. This is obviously a wide range of criteria – so just to explore one example; a donor with a graduate degree or high test scores may be someone you’re ideally looking for – so you could, as a starting point, filter your options through the lens of your desired standard of education. Also, many intended parents look for egg donors with a similar heritage or religious background as themselves.
  • Costs and Compensation: Fee can generally range from $2,500 to $30,000  and even upwards– donors may charge more when they have proven fertility or a higher level of education, among other factors. Note: this is just the donor’s fee, and not the full journey cost.  You can view detailed journey costs – including the egg donor agency’s compensation, the egg donor’s fee and screening costs, legal fees, complications insurance, escrow account service fee and contingencies – for each egg donor profile on GoStork.
  • Location – An egg donor close to your IVF clinic can help save you money in covering her travel costs. That said, this may not be your most important criteria – in which case it’s totally up to you to prioritize other factors over where the donor lives.

It’s a lot to digest and compare, but the bottom line is that whatever final decision you make is highly personal. The right option is whatever is right for you and your needs and GoStork is here to support you along the way!