CAN YOU DONATE EGGS IF YOU HAVE HIV OR AN STD?
For the safety and health of all involved in egg donation and surrogacy, egg donors are carefully screened—and that includes screening for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. If you're wondering if you can donate eggs if you have (or had) an STD or HIV, this post will explain what you need to know.
FDA-REQUIRED SCREENING
The FDA has created a list of communicable diseases that they require all IVF centers to test for in order to deem a candidate qualified to donate human reproductive tissue—in this case, your eggs. Diseases on this list include:
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
Hepatitis B& C
Syphilis
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
The FDA gives IVF clinics the ability to screen for additional diseases at will, so from time to time, additional tests may be ordered.
You can learn more about medical screenings and other concerns on our Egg Donor Requirements page.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU TEST POSITIVE FOR AN STD?
If your STD screening comes back positive for one or more of these diseases, it can mean a potential end to your journey to egg donation.
In other cases, this diagnosis will only cause a pause in your donation. Many sexually transmitted diseases are able to be treated and cured with medications from a doctor. STDs in this category include bacterial infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and some early stages of syphilis.
In these cases, once the transmission has been treated and cleared, there is no viable reason to deny a donation from this donor. If you find yourself in this situation, we will ask that you have the STD or STI treated and reapply when you have been clear of positive screening for a minimum of one year.
Any additional questions about STDs and egg donation can be discussed on an individual basis with your admissions specialist during the screening process. Learn more about what to do (and not to do) in the days leading up to your egg donation in our related blog post.
Get Started
If you're ready to become an egg donor, please contact us online or apply today.