By being a donor you will receive much more than what you give: the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping other people fulfill their wish to have a baby, something that would not be possible without your help. You are their great hope.

At IERA Lisboa, donors can count on safety and peace of mind when carrying out a process in a hospital environment, with the best conditions and the best specialists. Donation is voluntary and altruistic, in accordance with Portuguese law: Article 22(3) of Law 12/2009 of March 26 and Order No. 3192/2017 published in the Diário da República, 2nd series - No. 75, April 17, 2017.

Specific conditions that must be fulfilled.

Be between the ages of 18 and 34, be in good physical and psychological shape and have full decision-making capacity.

-No known genetic diseases in the family.

-A desire to help other women who cannot use their own eggs to become mothers.

All the studies that are carried out aim to assess physical and psychological health.

The studies begin with a series of tests that include analytical examinations, an analysis of family and personal history, a consultation with a gynecologist and a psychological consultation to assess the possibility of becoming a donor.

These studies, thanks to the unstoppable advance of medical genetics, are increasingly complete and allow us to detect whether the donor is a carrier of recessive genetic diseases which, because they rarely manifest themselves, may go unnoticed when assessing the family history.

If the results are positive, you could be an egg donor!

The whole process will be formalized by signing a formal and confidential informed consent; this document contains prior information about the purposes and consequences of the act, as well as the procedures and studies carried out.

Everything explained above can be carried out according to your schedule and, once we have the positive results, we can proceed with the donation process.

How are eggs donated?

The process is simple and lasts approximately 12-14 days;

The donor will undergo treatment under medical supervision;

Daily subcutaneous administration of medication for a period of between 10 and 12 days: the aim of this medication is to obtain more than one egg so that the effectiveness of the donation is adequate;

You will go to the clinic 3-4 times throughout the process for a gynecological ultrasound (painless treatment) and blood tests, if necessary;

When it is considered to be the right time for the eggs to develop, their extraction is scheduled.

How is egg extraction performed?

A minor surgical procedure to extract the eggs;

It takes place under anesthesia (sedation);

Through a vaginal ultrasound, where the ovaries are observed and the gynecologist aspirates their fluid and collects the eggs, which are sent to the laboratory;

It only takes about 15 minutes.

Once the eggs have been collected, you will be accompanied by one of our nurses in complete comfort until you feel well enough to be discharged.

How long do I have to be at the clinic once the extraction has taken place?

After 1-3 hours, the patient can go home and go about her normal life.

Is the treatment painful?

No. Sedation ensures that the donor feels no pain.

Can egg donation affect the donor's future motherhood?

Donation does not compromise the donor's fertility or motherhood.

Can I repeat a donation?

Once three months have passed, you can donate eggs again. Portuguese law allows a donor to make four egg donations in her lifetime.

In addition to helping other women, is the donor rewarded?

Portuguese law stipulates that egg donation is a voluntary process of a benevolent nature and that all donors receive a monetary amount intended to compensate them for travel and any inconvenience related to the donation process. This is a fixed amount, calculated in accordance with the law, and is around 1045 euros.

What is donor non-anonymity?

Although the donation is not anonymous for the child born, your civil identity can only be provided by a National PMA Council and if the child wishes it, after turning 18. Your identity will always be protected and confidential throughout the donation process. If you have any questions, contact us!

Who can receive eggs?

It is increasingly common for women to decide to delay motherhood after the age of 35. Many women prefer to find professional and economic stability before becoming mothers, prolong their life as a couple or simply haven't found the right time yet.

There are also many women whose egg count or quality decreases before their time and who need to receive donated eggs to fulfill their desire to become mothers.

It should be borne in mind that a woman's most fertile time is usually up to the age of 35 and that, from that age onwards, the chances of getting pregnant naturally decrease.

Fortunately, new assisted reproduction techniques allow many women to become mothers from the age of 40. One of the techniques that offers the best results at this age is “donor egg retrieval.”

Donor egg retrieval was initially carried out by women suffering from premature ovarian failure (early menopause), whereby their ovaries were unable to release oocytes. However, the high rate of pregnancies achieved through this technique and the fact that the age of motherhood is increasingly being postponed has increased the number of indications.

Main indications for being an oocyte recipient: 

Menopausal patients - absence of menstruation or ovarian activity after the age of 40;

Patients with early menopause or premature ovarian failure, absence of menstruation, or of eggs before the age of 40;

Previous surgery with bilateral ovariectomy (removal of both ovaries);

Patients with recurrent aneuploidies of the embryos (changes in the number or arrangement of chromosomes that can result in repeated implantation failures after several cycles of medically assisted procreation or repeat miscarriages), or with an indication after genetic counseling for having an altered karyotype;

Patients with serious hereditary diseases and/or without transferable embryos after PGT /DGPI (Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis);

Patients with previous failures in Assisted Reproductive Techniques and who have a low ovarian reserve;

Patients who, due to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, have lost ovarian function.