1. Evaluation and consultation

At your first meeting with us, you will be asked about your medical history. Following a full clinical assessment, you will discuss with the Medical Director of the Eugonia IVF about the prospect of the donation, the appropriate therapeutic approach and the most suitable medication protocol. 

You will also be informed about the legislative framework, the preparation involved and the tests required. Finally, you will be given information and detailed instructions for your treatment and for the process as a whole from the fertility midwife in charge of the donation program.

In addition, if you wish, you can request an appointment with our psychologist. Our goal is to help the couple examine and take into account all the possible effects that the proposed treatment may have on them, their family and the child that will be born as a result of this treatment.


2. Cycle of preparation and treatment

To maximize your chances of success, you will undergo specific tests that we will recommend based on your medical history.

It is important to prepare the recipient using appropriate medication so that the endometrium is synchronized with the development of the fertilized eggs and the embryo transfer takes place within the implantation window. The medical treatment aims at creating the ideal environment for embryo implantation. A cycle with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an ideal solution. The treatment start is based on your period and includes pills and injections.

3. The laboratory stage

The laboratory stage includes the fertilization of the eggs with the sperm of the male partner, husband or donor and embryo culture in the laboratory for 2-5 days.

The entire process is completed with transferring the embryos into the recipient's uterine cavity. The remaining embryos can be frozen and stored at the Eugonia Cryopreservation Bank for future use by the couple.

Some women cannot produce their own eggs and thus can only have a child by receiving donated eggs from another woman through IVF by using their partner’s or husband’s sperm.

These can be women

• who have advanced maternal age
• whose ovarian reserve has been exhausted due to premature ovarian failure (menopause)
• with very low ovarian reserve, which do not respond even to high doses of stimulating medication
• who have undergone radiotherapy or chemotherapy
• with good ovarian reserve but with an inherited genetic condition or a history of repeated implantation failure (RIF) due to poor embryo quality
• with ovariectomy

According to the Greek legislation, egg donation refers to the disposal of the retrieved eggs, after the donor's written consent, for use by one or more recipients. In particular, according to Law 4958/2022-FEK142/A/21-7-2022, the identity of the donors, at the choice of these people, can be anonymous, named or disclosed to the resulting offspring after they reach adulthood, upon request.

 Additionally, recipients can choose whether they want an anonymous or named donor. Donation of reproductive material between relatives is allowed under certain conditions. Finally, the identity of the offspring, as well as its parents (the recipients), is not disclosed to third party donors of gametes of fertilized eggs. According to the current legislation, it is mandatory to keep track of and register all data concerning donors and recipients in the National Donor Registry of the National Authority of Medically Assisted Reproduction, to ensure traceability of the reproductive material.

Financial compensation for egg donation is also not allowed, but the donor is compensated for medication, as well as travel expenses, loss of income due to absence from work, etc.

In addition, the age of candidate donors must be between 18 and 35 years old, have full legal capacity and be healthy. The recipient's age must not exceed 54 years of age. However, for women aged 50 to 54, a license from the National Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction is required.

The maximum number of embryos that can be used for transfer in cases of egg donation is two (2). According to the current legislation, it is obligatory to register all data concerning donors and recipients in the National Donor Registry, to ensure traceability of the genetic material.

The donor can be a woman, who

a) will therefore undergo ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval, with the aim of donating all the eggs that will be produced, or

b) undergo IVF herself and donate part of her eggs (partition egg sharing).

Technology nowadays also allows egg freezing with high success rates.

At Eugonia IVF all prospective egg donors undergo thorough clinical, genetic and psychological assessment as well as specialized laboratory and molecular tests. Only those candidates who meet strict criteria are accepted into the program.

We also make every effort to meet up with your expectations, matching, to the greatest, the characteristics of the donor with yours.

At our first meeting with the prospective donor, a detailed medical history is taken by the person in charge of the donation program followed by an evaluation by the fertility specialist using ultrasound monitoring and hormone testing.

In order to maximize the chances of pregnancy for the recipients it is considered necessary to receive a large number of eggs from the donor. This is achieved when she has high ovarian reserve and normal hormone levels (high AFC, AMH).

Finally, in collaboration with a Geneticist, her family history of hereditary disorders is examined in detail and specialized tests are recommended.

Molecular tests for

• cystic fibrosis
• Fragile X syndrome
• thalassemia a,b or d
• spinal muscular atrophy
• non-syndromic hearing loss
• karyotype
• hepatitis B , C and HIV

are far beyond what is required by law and may be costly but increase the safety for recipients.

Also, prospective egg donors undergo further laboratory tests (tests for sexually transmitted diseases, prenatal testing).

Egg donors, as well as recipients, are offered an appointment with Eugonia’s specialized psychologist, if they wish so.

Last but not least, an aspect of paramount importance regarding donation programs is providing the prospective donors and recipients with all relevant information regarding the IVF procedure, the associated risks and the relevant legislation.

According to the statistical data of the IVF units in Greece for the year 2015 which the Independent Authority for Medically Assisted Reproduction collected and presented at the ESHRE Conference in Barcelona (July 1-4, 2018), in 2015 there were 4768 donated cycles of eggs (41% increase compared to 2014). Regarding the effectiveness of the methods, the percentage of pregnancies for egg donation for the year 2015 was 55.1% (increase of 3.6%) per egg retrieval and 51.8% per embryo transfer. At Eugonia IVF, the chances of pregnancy from egg donation is higher than the national average, reaching over 60% per embryo transfer.

Regarding the effectiveness of the methods, the percentage of pregnancies for egg donation for the year 2015 was 55.1% (increase of 3.6%) per egg retrieval and 51.8% per embryo transfer. At Eugonia, the chance of pregnancy from egg donation is higher than the national average, at over 60% per embryo transfer.