Egg donation

The problem of childlessness affects every 5^th or 6^th family in Estonia. For many women, donated eggs are the only treatment method that allows them to have children. Women whose eggs have reduced in quality or who have no eggs of their own can use donated egg cells for artificial insemination. If you are a healthy woman aged 18-35, become an egg donor and help families who have no biological chance of having children of their own.

Interested in becoming an egg donor?

Our fertility treatment specialists will help explain the donation process in more detail. Please contact viljatusravikeskus [at] itk.ee (viljatusravikeskus[at]itk[dot]ee)

Am I a suitable egg donor?

Healthy women aged 18-35 are suitable for egg donation. The egg donor may be older than 35 years of age if she is a relative of the woman wishing to undergo artificial insemination.

To determine the suitability of a person wishing to become a donor, they must complete the questionnaire and health form for egg donors. In addition, the donor will undergo a thorough medical examination and laboratory tests.

Egg donation is voluntary and anonymous in Estonia. The donor’s personal information will not be disclosed. Egg donation is an emotionally complex and time-consuming process. As a donor, you also have the right to compensation for donating your egg cells, which will partly cover, for example, your absence from work or transport costs.

Who is not a suitable egg donor?

You are not a suitable egg donor if you have:

HIV;
acute or chronic hepatitis B, except in persons with established immunity;
hepatitis C;
syphilis;
chlamydia;
HTLV I/II;
cystic fibrosis or other autosomal recessive conditions;
fragile X syndrome or other X-linked recessive conditions;
other genetic disorders;
multifactorial developmental disorder or syndrome; or
chromosomal translocations which are likely to cause unbalanced chromosomal translocations.

Process of donating eggs

Please complete the questionnaire and health form for egg donors.After that, the gynaecologist will give you a thorough explanation of the process of donating your egg and the accompanying risks. Donors will be subjected to laboratory examinations, including chromosomal and genetic tests, to determine whether you are suitable to be a donor.
During counselling, suitable donors will be asked to sign an egg donor counselling protocol and informed consent to the donation of eggs. Informed consent means that you have received counselling regarding the donation process and legislation on donation. If you are a suitable donor and certain about your donation, an egg donation contract will be signed with you. You have the right to withdraw your consent to the donation of egg cells at any time until the start of the egg extraction procedure.
We start with the hormonal stimulation of the ovaries. The goal of the procedure is to get more than one egg cells to mature at the same time and this requires the ovaries to be injected with a stimulating medicinal product. It is very important that you inject yourself on the dates and times specified in the treatment plant. If you are too early or late with your injections, your egg cells will not be suitable for transplant. In this case, your ovaries will be punctured, but the egg cells extracted will not be used (they will be destroyed). During this period, you will visit your doctor two or three times to monitor the growth of follicles. Once the follicles have reached the desired diameter, your doctor will schedule ovarian puncture.
The ovaries are punctured. During the procedure, ultrasound guidance is used to take a needle to the follicles and aspirate follicular fluid from the follicles, which usually contains egg cells. All follicles are aspirated empty. The number and quality of egg cells extracted varies from patient to patient. Anaesthesia is used to ensure the procedure is painless. This means you must not eat or drink on the morning of the puncture. The anaesthesia is brief and lasts only for the duration of the procedure. Following the puncture procedure, you will remain in the hospital for observation for a few hours.

If you have additional questions, please contact viljatusravikeskus [at] itk.ee