Egg donation
Egg donation is in vitro fertilization performed with eggs from a donor. It is indicated when the patient cannot use her own eggs. In Brazil, donation is anonymous and non-profit, in accordance with the rules of the Federal Council of Medicine.
In egg donation, the recipient experiences the pregnancy from the start — the preparation of the endometrium, the embryo transfer and the follow-up of the pregnancy. Donation in Brazil is anonymous: donor and recipient do not identify each other, and selection takes physical characteristics and compatibility into account.
Epigenetics: the role of the uterus in egg donation
A frequent question in egg donation concerns genetic inheritance. Epigenetics helps answer it. About 99.9% of genes are identical across all people — what makes us different depends less on the gene itself and more on how that gene is expressed.
And much of that expression is governed by the environment — early in life, the uterus. The endometrium of the woman carrying the pregnancy nourishes the embryo, helps form the placenta and sends signals that switch genes on or off through the first weeks. Pregnancy is not a passive incubator: it shapes the child’s characteristics.
For this reason, a baby conceived from a donated egg is influenced, at the level of gene expression, by the woman who carries it. The body of the woman carrying the pregnancy actively takes part in building the baby — she is not passive in this process.
When egg donation is indicated
- Ovarian failure or early menopause
- Advanced maternal age with low egg quality
- Repeated IVF failures due to an egg-related factor
- Risk of transmitting a genetic disease
- Absence of ovaries
How it works
- 01
Assessment and preparation
We assess the case and prepare the recipient’s endometrium to receive the embryo.
- 02
Donor selection
The donor is selected with compatibility criteria, anonymously.
- 03
Fertilization
The donated eggs are fertilized with sperm by the partner laboratory.
- 04
Embryo transfer
The embryo is transferred to the recipient’s uterus at the ideal moment of the cycle.
Videos about egg donation
Frequently asked questions about egg donation
Is egg donation paid in Brazil?
No. Brazilian law prohibits any payment for the donation of gametes. Donation is a voluntary, anonymous and non-profit act.
Who can turn to egg donation?
Women who do not produce viable eggs — due to age, ovarian failure, early menopause or genetic risk. The indication is defined after clinical assessment.
The laboratory phase — gamete handling, fertilization, culture and cryopreservation — is carried out by a partner laboratory, contracted separately, in accordance with the rules of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine.
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Human reproduction treatments
In vitro fertilization (IVF)
The most complex treatment and the one with the highest success rate in assisted reproduction.
Fertility preservation
Freezing eggs or sperm to preserve the chance of having children in the future.
Intrauterine insemination
A low-complexity treatment that places prepared sperm into the uterus.