Egg donation can be an exciting opportunity to help people who want a family but are struggling to conceive. In return, donors are compensated for their time and discomfort. But it’s important for donors to understand the process completely before they begin. They should also consider how their decision might impact their relationship with their siblings and the parents of any children that result from their donation.

The egg donor must undergo several medical tests, including blood work, a pelvic exam and a chorionic villus aspiration CCS. A CCS involves scraping a small area of the cervix to test for the presence of infection, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia. The CCS is also used to assess the integrity of the ovaries, the number and size of follicles and their development. Some programs also test for chromosomes and genetic diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, Fragile X syndrome and thalassemia. In addition, the donor must undergo psychological testing and complete a medical history questionnaire.

Because of the many medications involved in the process, egg donors are at risk of side effects such as bloating, abdominal pain and mood swings. The medication can also increase the likelihood of developing severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, in which case the donor may need to be hospitalized. The procedure itself can cause complications like vaginal bleeding, abdominal or intestinal injury and ovarian torsion.

Donors should also be aware that, although their eggs will be mixed with sperm in the laboratory, they will not necessarily become pregnant. The sperm may not fertilize all of the eggs, and the remaining fertilized eggs will be frozen. It is possible for them to be thawed later and used for a different type of fertility treatment, such as in vitro fertilization. It is also possible for the resulting embryos to be used as a surrogate, which is a way to give a woman who cannot conceive a biological child a baby of her own.

Some programs allow donors to donate their eggs several times, but others limit repeat donations for a variety of reasons. The long-term risks of fertility drugs are not fully known, and some studies have suggested a link between repeated donations and an increased risk of ovarian cancer in later life.

Finally, donors should be aware that they will not be legally responsible for any children born as a result of their donation, even if they are the biological mother. This is a new legal understanding that is not yet widely accepted, and it is still unclear whether it will hold up in court. If a program does not make this clear, donors should not agree to donate their eggs.