Donating eggs is one of the most valuable and generous gifts a woman can give to intended parents who dream of building a family. The process involves retrieving eggs from the ovaries and donating them to intended parents, which may include women struggling with infertility, single individuals, and same-sex couples. However, before being approved to donate eggs, donors must meet strict guidelines, including an age limit. At Elevate Donors, we accept donors between the ages of 19 and 29 but may take donors up to 31 years old.
The age limit, as well as other requirements for egg donors, are in place to ensure that donors are fit to go through the process and provide intended parents with the highest quality eggs possible so they have the best chance of a successful outcome. Our experienced team at Elevate Donors guides donors through every step of their journey, including thorough screenings and testing to determine if donors are physically and mentally prepared for retrieval. We also communicate openly and honestly so that donors know what to expect every step of the way.
Why Is There an Age Limit for Donating Eggs?
While many women are still fertile well into their thirties, we don’t typically accept egg donors over the age of 31. This is because a woman’s fertility starts to gradually decline around age 32. Women are born with a fixed number of eggs, usually around one to two million. By the time they reach puberty, they have 300,000 to 500,000. This number continues to decrease, leaving women with about 25,000 eggs by age 37.
With the decreasing number of eggs comes reduced chances of healthy embryos for intended parents. We want to give intended parents the best chance of finishing their cycles with healthy embryos, so we limit the age of our donors to early thirties.
Are There Other Requirements for Egg Donors?
In addition to the age requirements, egg donors must meet other qualifications to become an egg donor. At Elevate, we ensure all donors meet state and American Society for Reproductive Medicine guidelines, which include the following:
- Physically and mentally healthy
- Non-smoker
- Healthy body mass index (BMI)
- Good resting follicle count (AFC)
- No family history of genetic diseases
- Does not take ADD or ADHD medication
- Comfortable with self-injections
- Well-educated with verifiable test scores
- Does not discriminate against non-traditional families
- Passes a criminal background check
We understand every donor is different and has a unique health history. Therefore, we conduct several rounds of testing, including a medical evaluation, psychological exam, background check, and genetic testing. With the results of these tests and the requirements in mind, we determine if a donor can proceed with their egg donation journey.
Start the Egg Donation Journey With the Seasoned Professionals at Elevate Donors
While donating eggs can be a gratifying and empowering experience for women, they must meet several criteria before donating, including an age requirement. At Elevate Donors, we accept egg donors between 19 and 31 years of age to ensure intended parents receive the highest quality eggs and that donors are adequately prepared for retrieval. With the extensive qualifications for egg donors, we understand that it can be challenging for donors to know if they are eligible, so we handle the screening process and communicate their results clearly.
Elevate Donors is an egg donor agency with years of experience providing concierge-level services to all our clients. Most of our staff have been on their own assisted reproduction journey, so we understand the priceless gift of egg donation and how to help donors feel comfortable at all times. To schedule an initial consultation and learn more about egg donor requirements, call us at (323) 933-8918 or fill out our contact form.
