These women could be helped by receiving eggs donated by other fertile women. However, at present there is a shortage of donated eggs in the UK so women who need them often face a long wait for treatment. This leaflet contains information about donating eggs, either to help another woman become pregnant or for use in research. It explains some of the reasons why egg donation is needed and where a woman can donate eggs. It answers some of the questions which a woman considering becoming a donor may want to ask and outlines the procedures involved.
Some couples are infertile because the woman is unable to produce eggs.
Also, many older women undergoing fertility treatment may have a better chance of achieving a pregnancy if they receive donated eggs. Some women are carriers of inherited disorders such as Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, haemophilia or Huntingdon's chorea which are passed on through the mother's eggs. Rather than risk giving birth to a child who may suffer greatly and die at an early age, a woman may request egg donation in order to have the chance of a healthy child. A woman receiving treatment with a donated egg is referred to as the recipient. If all goes well, a normal pregnancy develops and the patient will have the chance of having a child.