The Duke Fertility Center's team of fertility specialists helps you understand what's involved and supports you through the process. We are conveniently located in Morrisville, which provides easy access from Durham, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill.
Becoming an egg donor allows you to be part of a life-changing experience for people dreaming of a family. However, it is important to know that becoming an egg donor requires multiple screenings, doctor visits, and more.
You will be compensated $7,500 as an egg donor at the egg retrieval appointment.
If you are interested in becoming an egg donor, please complete the application here. A nurse will contact you to discuss the next steps after it is submitted.
Learning what motivates you to become an egg donor is part of the initial screening process. Our fertility specialists and psychologists discuss why you’re exploring egg donation so you and our team can better understand what’s important to you.
Most people donate to help someone achieve their dream of having a family. While egg donors receive compensation, financial gain is not the main reason donors choose this path.
The process starts by talking with a donor nurse coordinator, who gathers information to understand your family medical history and ensure you meet the following health requirements:
To be eligible:
After meeting the eligibility requirements, you will complete an in-depth survey requesting additional medical information and insight to get to know you better.
For example, there might be questions about your strengths and hobbies. This allows the Duke Fertility Center to create a fuller profile of who you are.
After we evaluate your application, you may be contacted to schedule two appointments with our staff.
The appointments help us determine if you’re a good match for egg donation. if you are, you’ll be entered into our donor registry.
Visit our Morrisville location, which offers easy access from Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and other parts of the Triangle.
Donating is a safe process. If you choose to donate, you can still have children.
According to peer-reviewed medical research by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, there is NO link between egg donation and:
Egg retrieval is a minimally invasive procedure with medication to block pain.
Hormone injections used to stimulate egg production may cause soreness at the injection site. The hormones may cause:
On rare occasions, you may temporarily develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), which can cause a temporary shift in fluid levels in your ovaries, abdominal pain, and a general feeling of illness. Often, these symptoms go away on their own, but severe cases require a hospital visit to drain fluid.
You’ll receive a hormone injection that reduces the potential for OHSS. Your providers will discuss OHSS and other potential complications during your first visit.
Donating does not impact your production of eggs in the future or prevent you from having your own children.
As an added layer of security, egg recipients provide donors with medical insurance coverage that covers egg cycle-related complications. This includes:
This coverage is provided at no cost to you and cannot be used for any other appointments or treatments. It lasts throughout the donation process and three months after you donate.
It is in addition to the insurance you may already have. You do not need to change and should not discontinue your current health insurance.
Duke Fertility Center staff will file all necessary paperwork on your behalf and ensure you’re covered. Our team will provide you with a special insurance card for this additional medical coverage during and after the donation process.
There is no timeline for how long you may wait between completing all your screenings and when an ideal match is made with a potential recipient.
Matches are based on the preference of the recipient with guidance from Duke providers. The donation process doesn’t begin until there’s a match.
With the rise of publicly available genetic testing, lifelong, completely anonymous donation is not possible. However, Duke Fertility offers various donor/recipient contact methods.
Your options are:
We will not intentionally share your name or contact information with the egg recipient or with future children unless you authorize it.
Our goal is to respect your privacy as well as support you and the recipient's family with common information needs.
A full explanation of the latest practices around de-identifying information is in the donor consent form. This will be discussed and explained further during your psychologist visit.
You may be part of the Donor Sibling Registry, a non-profit organization that provides donors and recipients a way to communicate anonymously. Joining is optional.
This can be helpful if you or the egg recipient has questions about your health history after the donation.
Duke Fertility annually updates its program to provide recipients and donors with the most up-to-date health information after the match.
It’s safe for donors to have one alcoholic drink per day before beginning the donation process, in line with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control.
A donor should not consume alcohol immediately before donation or during the stimulation cycle.
Duke University Hospital is proud of our team and the exceptional care they provide. They are why we are once again recognized as the best hospital in North Carolina, and nationally ranked in 11 adult and 10 pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report for 2024–2025.