Egg donation is the only option for women who are unable to conceive with their own eggs for many reasons, such as being older or failure of their ovaries due to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, endometriosis or genetic problems resulting in premature menopause. Egg donors who want to donate do so knowing that they will have a positive and transformative effect on the life of another person or family.
There are two types of donors available at Harley Street Fertility Centre Kenya Ltd.
- Clinic recruited donors (anonymous)
- Known donors (usually selected by respective recipients)
Donors should be healthy, free of toxins and confirmed suitable for donation following reproductive evaluation. They should preferably be below 30 years of age and ideally have previously carried a pregnancy to term.
All prospective donors complete a detailed questionnaire that is reviewed by our team. The questionnaire includes questions about the donor’s background, medical, family and personal history. Those who meet specific criteria will be invited to complete the additional screening, which involves consultations with our Fertility Consultant and nurses.
They will also be screened for relevant conditions such as HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, our donors are tested for their blood type in order to potentially match the recipient’s blood group with that of the donor.
Donors only become available after their screening is complete and they are designated eligible according to our guidelines. The screening process generally takes a few weeks.
Confidentiality of donors (where they are clinic-recruited donors) and the recipients is maintained throughout the treatment, and anonymity of the donors is guaranteed, as appropriate.
All eligible donors sign a consent form in which they relinquish all rights and responsibilities regarding their donated eggs.
Once a donor is selected by a recipient, they undergo ovarian stimulation with hormone injections, ultrasound monitoring and egg collection under sedation. They are seen for 1-2 follow-ups post egg collection to ensure that they have recovered well before discharge from our service. This process takes approximately 3-4 weeks.
Egg donors are compensated for their time, travel and efforts to donate at the end of the donation cycle with a token of appreciation.
