Egg donation helps a woman who cannot use her own eggs carry a pregnancy. If you are a healthy young woman in India thinking about donating, this is what it involves, who can do it, and what you are paid. It is a serious decision, so the details matter.
Who can become an egg donor
To donate eggs at our clinic you should be:
- Between 20 and 30 years of age.
- Married, which is required under Indian guidelines.
- Healthy, with no serious medical conditions.
- Ideally a mother already, so your fertility is proven. Having had at least one baby is preferred.
Every donor is medically tested before she donates, including screening for infections. If you are unsure whether you qualify, the become a donor page sets out the full criteria.
How much do egg donors get paid in India?
You are paid up to Rs 50,000 for each donation. The amount is fixed and the same for every donor, so there is no haggling and no hidden deductions. It compensates you for your time, the daily injections and the clinic visits. Under Indian guidelines this is payment for your effort, not a price for your eggs, which is why the figure is set rather than negotiated.
You receive the money once your eggs have been collected. If you are healthy and your body responds well, you may be able to donate again after a recovery gap, within the limits set by ICMR guidelines, so some women choose to donate more than once over a couple of years. Egg donation is something you do to help another family, and the payment recognises that.
The process, step by step
A donation cycle is straightforward once it starts:
- Screening. We confirm you are eligible and run the medical tests.
- Stimulation. You take daily hormone injections (Lupride and Menogon) so that several eggs mature at once instead of the single egg you release each month. This is the same superovulation used in standard IVF.
- Monitoring. Scans every second day track how the follicles are growing. For most women the eggs are ready by day 14 to day 16.
- Trigger and retrieval. A final HCG injection is given, and the eggs are collected about 36 hours later. On average a donor gives 8 to 16 mature eggs.
- Recovery. You get a normal period about 14 days after the eggs are collected.
Is it safe?
Many women worry about the injections. The medicines used for stimulation are all natural hormones, and they have been used safely around the world for many years. In a good clinic that monitors you carefully, the risk of egg donation is negligible. You are not giving away eggs you would otherwise use: your body recruits a batch of eggs every month and normally lets most of them go to waste, and donation simply saves that batch.
Will anyone know I donated?
No. Egg donation in India is anonymous, as required by ICMR guidelines. The recipient does not learn who you are, and you do not learn who receives your eggs. Your donation is kept confidential.
How to start
If you meet the criteria and want to help a family, the next step is simple. Tell us a little about yourself and we will guide you through the screening. You can begin on the become a donor page or contact the clinic directly.