Egg donation is most commonly used when the patient is unable to produce her own eggs. This type of infertility is often associated with older maternal age, when the ovary’s store of follicles is beginning to run out. The tell-tale signs are irregular – and even absent – periods, which are often a prelude to the menopause. In normally ‘fertile’ women this can happen in their late 30s and early 40s, but there are also unfortunate younger women who are found to have a ‘premature’ menopause. This can happen in women as young as 20 or 30. If a couple cannot be helped through procedures such as in vitro fertilization, they may want to consider using donor eggs. Donor eggs and sometimes donor embryos allow an infertile woman to carry a child and give birth naturally.

The doctor may advise you to go for this procedure after a thorough evaluation of your ovarian reserve. This method of IVF has high success rates. The identity of the donors are kept anonymous by a legal contract signed by both the parties.