An Exploration of the Medical, Psychosocial and Disclosure Experiences of Egg Donors Across the Lifespan

PURPOSE BACKGROUND/SIGNIFICANCE: Although egg donation has occurred since the early 1980s, little is known about egg donors’ experiences, especially long-term outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the psychosocial and physical experiences of egg donors across the lifespan. The Biopsychosocial Model guided the research. METHOD: Participants were recruited from the Donor Sibling Registry list-serve and multiple Facebook groups targeting egg donors. The anonymous, online survey was developed using questions from previous egg donor surveys, validated measures of substance use and patient reported outcomes (CAGE-AID & PROMIS), and expert insight. Pretesting was completed with six egg donors. RESULTS: 363 participants (age range 22-71) donated an average of 3.3 times and the average time from initial donation to study participation was 13.75 years. Most donors (89.5%) had a positive experience. Yet, 41% reported pain (average pain score 6.7/10) directly related to the egg retrieval procedure, and 10.5% reported ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Anxiety (25.8%) and depression (23.2%) were the most common medical complications with 17% reporting emotional distress was a direct result of egg donation. Additionally, 11.5% of participants showed a clinically significant indication of drug and alcohol use (≥ 2 CAGE-AID). Changes to menstrual cycle, ovulation, or fertility occurred in 21% of participants post-donation. Most participants (94.3%) were not contacted by clinics for medical updates post-donation despite 25% having important medical changes to report. Most donors disclosed their donation to family and friends and felt pride, excitement, and joy in sharing. Fewer disclosed to their children. CONCLUSIONS: Egg donation experiences were positive despite reported pain, psychological impacts, and reproductive related concerns post-donation. Lack of clinical follow-up and patient desire to report post-donation medical concerns indicate a need for more post-procedure support and structured follow-up mechanisms. Clinical and regulatory policy changes should be considered. Practitioners can incorporate these findings when educating women who are considering donating eggs. Future research is needed to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of reproductive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, and drug/alcohol use, and disclosure to children and providers among egg donors.