Looking back: egg donors' retrospective evaluations of their motivations, expectations, and experiences during their first donation cycle

Objective: To survey motivations, expectations, and experiences of egg donors in the United States and their assessments of physical, psychological, and social after-effects of their donation(s).

Design: Questionnaire comprising open-ended and multiple-choice items, administered on the Internet or by mail.

Participant(s): A total of 80 women who first donated eggs between 1989 and 2002 (at least 2 years before survey completion) in 20 states.

Main outcome measure(s): Self-report questionnaire assessing donors' demographic characteristics, their initial awareness of and interest in egg donation, first egg donation experience, and reflections on it.

Result(s): Participants cited both altruistic and financial reasons for becoming egg donors. Donors' self-reported awareness of physical risks before their first donation was not well-matched with the physical side effects they actually experienced. Psychological risk awareness before donation reflected more challenging outcomes than the women actually experienced. The majority of donors reported postdonation satisfaction, although a minority reported long-term physical and psychological concerns that they attribute to having donated eggs.

Conclusion(s): These data offer a comprehensive overview of issues important to the recruitment and well-being of egg donors and suggest some issues related to the donor's satisfaction with the process and to their long-term health for future study.