ClinicsDoctorsTreatmentsResourcesWho we areAsk PATHEgg donation (also called oocyte donation) is fertility treatment using eggs given by a donor. Clinics may suggest it when treatment with your own eggs is unlikely to work or is not possible — for example because of age, a low ovarian reserve, premature ovarian insufficiency, repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles, or the risk of passing on a genetic condition. It is also how many same-sex couples and people using a surrogate build their families. The process follows the same core steps as IVF, with the difference that the eggs come from a donor: someone you know, a donor introduced through your clinic, or an egg bank. The donor takes medication to stimulate their ovaries and the eggs are collected in a short procedure. In the laboratory the eggs are fertilised with sperm — your partner's or a donor's — and an embryo is usually transferred into your womb (or your surrogate's) three to five days later, while you take medication, typically oestrogen and progesterone, to prepare the womb lining. Suitable remaining embryos can be frozen for future cycles, and a pregnancy test follows around two weeks after transfer. Success rates depend on the donor's age, the clinic and your own circumstances, so blanket percentages are not a reliable guide to your individual chances — ask clinics for their own figures and check them against the independent statistics the HFEA publishes. In the UK egg donation is regulated by the HFEA: donors receive fixed compensation rather than payment, and a person conceived from a donation can usually access identifying information about their donor from age 18. Rules differ abroad, which is worth understanding if you are considering treatment in another country.
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In an egg donation cycle, eggs from a donor are fertilised with a partner's sperm, if there is one, in a lab, and the resulting embryos are transferred a few days later; any additional embryos are usually frozen for a possible future cycle rather than discarded. A pregnancy test typically follows around ten to fifteen days after transfer. Clinics vary in exactly how they sequence donor screening, sperm collection, and transfer timing, so it's worth asking any clinic you're considering to walk you through their specific process step by step.
Timelines vary by clinic and by whether donor matching happens quickly or involves a wait, so there isn't one figure that applies across the board. Egg retrieval, fertilisation, and embryo transfer happen within a matter of days of each other, but donor matching and any travel beforehand can add considerably more time. If travelling to another country for treatment, you'll typically need to be there for the retrieval and transfer stages. Ask prospective clinics for a realistic timeline based on their own donor pool and process, not a generic estimate.
There isn't one reliable UK-wide figure for egg donation, so the more useful question to bring to a clinic is what's included in their quote rather than a single number — donor compensation or agency fees, medication, the lab and transfer stage, and any embryo storage are often priced separately from the headline figure. Ask for a full itemised quote before committing, and compare it against what other clinics include, since the same package name can mean quite different things between providers.
Egg donation is generally considered when someone's own eggs are unlikely to lead to a pregnancy, whatever the underlying reason, and it follows broadly the same clinical steps as standard IVF from fertilisation onwards. Donors are typically screened and tested to rule out hereditary conditions before being accepted onto a programme. Whether it's the right route for your particular circumstances is worth discussing directly with a consultant, since suitability depends on individual medical history rather than a general rule that applies to everyone equally.
As with any IVF-based treatment, egg donation carries the usual physical demands of fertilisation, transfer, and the wait for a pregnancy test, plus the practical reality that not every fertilised egg will develop into a transferable embryo. Donors are screened for hereditary disease, which reduces but doesn't remove uncertainty. If eggs remain after the first transfer, they're usually frozen for a possible later cycle. A consultant can talk through what's uncertain in your specific case rather than a generic list of possibilities.
These answers are general — PATH personalizes once it knows your age, your numbers, and your story.
This article provides general information about fertility — not medical advice. Always consult your fertility specialist or another qualified clinician for decisions about your care. In an emergency, call your local emergency services.
Whether Egg Donation fits is a question about your age, your results, and your history — not about averages. PATH can help you reason through it, or start from the clinics that offer it.
