Using an Egg Donor

Can egg donation help me?

Using donated eggs may be a suitable option if:

• you are going through premature menopause
• you are at a high risk of passing on genetic disease
• your ovaries have been affected by chemotherapy or serious illness
• you have had multiple failed IVF treatment cycles

The success rate of IVF/ICSI using donor egg treatment is directly related to the age of the donor, and the number and quality of the donated eggs.

How do I find an egg donor?

In most cases, women have eggs donated to them by someone they know – a family member or friend who is willing to donate in order to help them have a baby. If you don’t have a known donor you can add your name to Queensland Fertility Group’s anonymous altruistic egg donor waiting list, however, there is a long waiting time to receive anonymously donated eggs.

What's involved in using an egg donor?

After an initial consultation with your Fertility Specialist, you (and your donor, if using a known egg donor) will be required to meet with one of our counsellors, who will discuss with you the social and psychological implications of using donor eggs. The egg donor will also need to undergo a medical screening process. If using an anonymous egg donor, the donor will already have undergone rigorous medical screening.

Your Queensland Fertility Group Fertility Specialist will then work with you and your egg donor to develop a treatment program that suits you. Your donor will undergo hormonal stimulation to encourage egg development and collection of her eggs, while we prepare the lining of your uterus to accept a fertilised embryo.

Once your donor’s eggs are collected, they are fertilised in the laboratory using sperm from either your partner or a donor, and the embryo most likely to develop into a successful pregnancy is then transferred back to your body. Any other viable embryos are frozen for potential future transfer, and a pregnancy test is carried out two weeks after the embryo transfer.

How much does it cost to use donor eggs in Queensland?

There is a counselling consult fee and a donor coordination fee payable. Please check with our donor team for a current cost sheet for treatment using an egg donor at Queensland Fertility Group.

With the introduction of the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2024 there are a number of changes relevant to you as a potential recipient of donated eggs.

These changes include the age of when a donor conceived person can access identifying information of their donor as well as the introduction of a donor conception information register (DCIR). You can find more information about these changes by visiting Changes to the law – donor conception information register | Your rights, crime and the law | Queensland Government