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How to Donate Eggs for Money and Make Money

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A few days ago, I talked about the many ways you could donate plasma and make more than $300 per month if you continued to do it.

Staying on the health topic, I figured I would create a simple guide showcasing the ways women can make THOUSANDS donating their eggs.  Yes, the money is much greater than any other donation health-wise, but there’s more time involved and hoops to jump through.  And, not everyone makes it.  In fact, very few do.  It’s one of the main reasons I wanted to create this guide to help clear the air.

Nonetheless, if you’re in good health and you don’t mind donating your eggs to someone else in need, then you may want to take a gander at this guide and see if it’s worth your time or something to even consider.

How to Sell Your Eggs for Money

First, Understand How You Can Donate Your Eggs

If you want to donate your eggs, you can do it in one of three popular ways.

The most popular way, often through an agency, is as simple as it gets.  This agency will work much like a sports free agent, wherein they will do everything for you, helping connect you with a clinic that fits your needs.  They will find the clinic for you, discuss compensation and do all of the dirty work for you.  In this case, you will just show when expected and won’t have to do much in terms of research.  While you won’t do as much, it pays the least out of the three.

The second way, directly through the clinic, technically bypasses the agency as you will be working with the clinic directly rather than paying an agency fee to find this clinic.  There are a lot of great clinics out there, and I will talk about how you can find them later on in this guide.  Like an agent, the clinic can also help discuss how the process works as well as talk about whether or not you’re a good candidate or not.  Let it be known it can be hard to find a clinic that’s willing to accept you as many work with an agency.  So, if you do contact a clinic directly, don’t be surprised if they refer you to an agent.

And, lastly, you can find a friend or family member on your own.  This can be the hardest route, but it could pay the most out of the three mentioned.



How Much Can I Make?

How much you make depends on which of the three options you choose.

For instance, if you choose a clinic, you could make anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000.  This number, however, depends on your egg donation cycle, your qualifications, the number of eggs you produce, etc.  There are a lot of factors involved.  The Center for Human Reproduction, for example, pays its donors anywhere from $8,000 to $14,000.  Even if your cycle is canceled due to no fault of your own, you can still make $1,000.

As for finding someone directly, this is where it can really pay off as it’s not unheard of to make anywhere from $25,000 to more than $50,000.  It can hard to find someone privately, the reason for the higher payouts.

The prices are all over the place as many factors are involved, but an honest clinic/agency will always tell you up front as to how much you should expect to make.

Who Can Donate Eggs?

In order to donate, it’s not as easy as donating plasma, wherein you just show up, let a doctor take your vitals and go on your way.

Instead, you will need to undergo a series of psychological and physical screenings.  It takes a lot of work and is one of the main reasons many drop out of the process.  While that compensation sounds grand, a lot of work is involved and it can be quite draining to most.

During these procedures, doctors want to make that you’re of sound mind and you know what you’re getting yourself into.  After all, your half-child will be running out there in the world, and the perspective parent will want to ensure they are using eggs from someone sane.

Also, there are a ton of physical screenings you must undergo to make sure you’re a qualified candidate.  Your health history should be clean, free of any diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis and chlamydia, to name a few.

Aside from these diseases, other life events could disqualify you.  For instance, if you received a tattoo in the last 12 months, this could be an automatic disregardful, according to the FDA.  The same can be said about your travel history as some countries could put you on the ban list.

For instance, here were some requirements I found via a clinic’s website…

In terms of the physical screenings involved, you will often need an ultrasound done as well as your blood drawn.

Let it be known that this screening process is very intense and very few women get selected.  In fact, it’s said that only 10 percent of women who undergo the initial screening can even make it to the second step of the procedure.  And, if you think that statistic is low, only 10 percent of women in the second stage make it to the actual donation process.  As you can imagine, your odds of being selected are very slim, but as always, I would never stop you from at least trying as there’s still a three to four percent success rate.

In the end, the best candidates, according to fertility doctors, are healthy women who have graduated college and are between the ages of 26 to 32 years old.  If you feel you fit this demographic, then your odds increase dramatically.

How Can I Donate?

So, let’s say you feel you’re a great candidate and you want to get the process started.  That’s great!  No matter where you live in the states, there’s a good chance there’s a reputable clinic nearby.

There are so many to list, so I’m going to give you one simple piece of advice…

To find a reputable clinic nearby, medical professionals highly recommend you use the CDC’s published fertility rate reports.  In using the interactive map, you can find the most reputable clinics in your area that adhere to the ASRM guidelines.  In short, these are very reputable clinics that are a great starting point.  While you can use Google and Yelp, it’s SO important you do your due diligence before working with any clinic to ensure you’re working with some legitimate.  Here are 18 questions you should ask before even considering.

Use this list and call up as many as possible, asking them who they work with as well what the procedure looks like.  Some clinics may have a website, where you can gather this information, whereas others may ask you to call or even visit them in person for a free consult.  Nonetheless, it’s always a wise idea to compare a handful to make an informed decision as to which clinic you’re comfortable with.

The Egg Donation Process

1] In the early stages, most clinics will first want you to fill out an application, either online or in person.  Much like filling out an application at your doctor’s office for the first time, you will be asked to answer questions in regards to your demographics, health history, family history, travel history, etc.  If the clinic likes what they see, then they will contact you to come in for a medical exam.  Keep in mind that some clinics require that you have a match before they even start the process.

2] If accepted to the clinic, you will have to undergo a very comprehensive medical exam as noted earlier.  This exam can take up to six+ hours.  During this time, a medical professional, usually a nurse practitioner, will go over your medical history, explain the process, do a urine test, take blood work and undergo a psychological test, to name a few.  There’s a lot involved. Remember, only 10 percent of candidates make it through this very extensive exam.

3] If you’re one of the lucky final three percent that makes it to the egg donation process, then you will be asked to inject yourself with a series of hormones to trigger ovarian stimulation and ovulation over a certain period of time, usually once a day for about the first two weeks.  You will be taught how to do this during the medical exam.  As for the actual egg retrieval process, this only takes about 30 minutes and will take place in an ambulatory survey center.  During this procedure, they will use an IV sedation.

4]  After the first egg retrieval, you will visit the clinic once again a week or so later, wherein they will take an ultrasound, talk about the process, and at this time, be invited to come back again if they are happy with the results.

The entire process, from start to finish, can take about two months to complete, with the application/screening process taking the longest.  Even after approved, you have to remember that you have to go through a full egg donation cycle, which usually takes about three to five weeks on average.

Common Questions Answered

Of course, you may have other questions in regards to the process.  That’s fine.  In this section, I researched the most popular questions and answer them here, cited the medical source in doing so.

How often can I donate?

It’s only recommended you donate six times throughout your life, however, this isn’t mandated.  There is no national registry in the United States, so technically, you could donate forever if you choose to do so.

What is recovery like?

After the actual egg retrieval process, you are just asked to rest for the next 24 hours before resuming normal activities.  The recovery time is very minimal.



Will the couple know about me?

From my understanding and research, almost all clinics will not share your personal information; however, the couples will know about your characteristics.  No other information should lead to someone identifying you.

What are some side effects?

All medical procedures have side effects, with egg donation not being an exception.  According to Egg Donor America, several risks are involved along the way, including side effects associated with the blood draw, fertility drugs, antibiotics and ultrasound-guided egg retrieval.  Common side effects do include bloating, weight gain and pelvic discomfort, to name a few.  Refer to this guide for a full list of side effects you could experience.

Do I have to pay for anything?

No legitimate clinic will charge a donor for any of the health-related expenses.  In most cases, a clinic will even reimburse you for your airfare, travel, meals, parking and hotel stays if you had to travel.  Of course, this can vary, so it’s important to know what you’re responsible for, if anything, before showing up to your first appointment.  In the end, be prepared to pay nothing out of pocket.

Final Thoughts

While the compensation is quite high, you will have to be prepared to dedicate at least a month of your time if interested.  You will be visiting the doctor’s office a lot.

And, remember, not everyone qualifies as you have a less than three percent chance of getting accepted.

With all of that being said, the compensation to most is worth it, however, you have to realize why you’re doing it in the first place.  By donating your eggs, you can help a family have the child they always wanted.  This is almost better than the cash in hand.

Of course, donating eggs isn’t for everyone and this guide, by no means, should be viewed as medical advice.  Instead, as a way to get you started.  If interested, I highly recommend you contact one of the many clinics found in that CDC database for more information.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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