HOW DO DONORS PROVIDE THEIR EGGS?
What Is Egg Donation?
Egg donation is a multi-stage medical process during which a donor provides her eggs to an IVF clinic for future use. Before stimulation begins, donors undergo medical examinations and preparatory procedures.
In almost all countries, the average age range for egg donors is between 18 and 35. However, international experience shows that the donor’s age should ideally not exceed 32. The retrieved eggs are either used fresh in IVF clinics or frozen and stored in cryobanks for later use.
Egg donors may participate in the program as anonymous or known donors - a practice common in most countries. To join the program, donors fill out a questionnaire providing personal information. The form may vary depending on the clinic or agency, but the core questions are generally similar.
Unlike a known donor, an anonymous donor does not know who will receive her eggs. In contrast, a known donor is informed about the intended parents. This distinction is one of the main reasons many intended parents choose programs that use eggs from anonymous donors.
The Cost of Egg Donation
In 2025, egg donors in Armenia receive compensation ranging from approximately USD 1,000 to 2,500, depending on whether the donation is anonymous or known. Armenian donors tend to have higher compensation rates than average in the market, as their profiles are in greater demand compared to donors with Slavic features.
While there is technically no strict limit on how many times a person can donate eggs, in practice, the same donor usually participates no more than 7–8 times. Frequent participation in such programs, which involve the use of hormones, is not beneficial for the donor’s health - this is one of the main reasons for limiting the number of donation cycles. Between each donation, donors are required to take a minimum break of 3–4 months before joining another program.
How Is Egg Donation Performed?
Egg donation is carried out in accordance with established medical regulations. Depending on whether the donor is participating in the program for the first time or as a repeat donor, the entire process may last anywhere from 2 to 16 weeks.
What Are the Stages of Egg Retrieval?
I. Medical Examination
Only women who are physically and mentally healthy may participate in the program.
Before beginning the stimulation process, an egg donor candidate undergoes consultations with a geneticist, gynecologist, and therapist, as well as a series of medical tests, including a complete blood count, urine analysis, and vaginal swab to check for sexually transmitted infections. To assess reproductive health and ovarian reserve, the donor also undergoes an ultrasound examination of the pelvic organs and mammary glands.
II. Superovulation Stimulation
Superovulation is induced through the use of hormones to produce a greater number of mature follicles. If the intention is to use fresh donor eggs, the sperm collection and egg retrieval are performed on the same day.
III. Egg Retrieval
The collection of mature follicles after ovarian stimulation is performed in a hospital setting. The procedure is carried out under intravenous anesthesia and requires no complex preparation. The anesthesia typically lasts up to 30 minutes.
After a catheter is gently inserted through the vagina, the doctor punctures the ovary and extracts the contents of the follicles. When performed by a qualified specialist, the procedure is painless and does not cause complications.
Following ovarian stimulation, the donor needs to rest in the hospital for about one to two hours. It is normal to experience fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, or mild discomfort afterward. These are temporary effects of the anesthesia that pass soon.
Immediately after the procedure, the donor receives financial compensation for her participation in the program.