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What Is Donor Egg IVF?

Donor egg IVF uses another woman's eggs to create embryos. Birth rates stay above 30% even for older recipients, but pregnancy risks such as pre-eclampsia rise.

By Vireon Medical Editorial TeamFirst published Evidence checked through

Short answer

Donor egg IVF uses eggs from another woman, which are fertilised in the laboratory with sperm from a partner or a donor, and the resulting embryo is transferred to the womb of the person who will carry the pregnancy. It is mainly used when someone does not produce eggs, when their own eggs are unlikely to lead to a pregnancy, or to avoid passing on a serious inherited condition. Because the chance of success largely follows the donor’s age rather than the recipient’s, birth rates stay much higher for older patients than with their own eggs, but pregnancy risks linked to the recipient’s age and health remain.

Key points

  • In UK 2019 data, birth rates per embryo transferred with donor eggs were over 30% in every age group.
  • With their own eggs, patients aged 43 and over had birth rates of 5% or lower.
  • In the UK, egg donors must be 36 or under and are screened for infections and serious genetic diseases.
  • UK donor-conceived people can ask for their donor’s identity at 18.
  • Egg donation pregnancies carry a higher risk of pre-eclampsia.

How donor egg IVF works

The donor goes through the egg-collection part of IVF: hormone stimulation followed by egg collection, which the HFEA describes as invasive and time-consuming.3 The eggs are fertilised in the laboratory, and an embryo is transferred to the recipient’s womb.

Clinics may offer a list of donors to choose from, or a person may use a donor they know through the clinic. Waiting lists can be long in the UK.2 UK clinics can also import donor eggs from abroad, but only under strict conditions through a licensed clinic that offers import services.2

Who it may be considered for

The HFEA lists three broad situations: not producing eggs of one’s own, having eggs that are unlikely to lead to pregnancy, and having a high risk of passing on an inherited disease.2 In practice, age is a major reason. In 2019, 8% of UK patients aged 40 to 42 used donor eggs, rising to 21% at 43 to 44 and 57% at 45 to 50.1

Donor conception is now a large part of UK fertility treatment. Around 1 in 5 births from IVF and donor insemination in 2023, about 4,300 births, involved donor eggs, sperm or embryos.5

How success rates compare

The number and quality of a woman’s eggs fall with age.7 UK egg donors must be 36 or under,3 which helps explain why birth rates with donor eggs stay high even for older recipients. In 2019, patients aged 43 and over had birth rates per embryo transferred of 5% or lower with their own eggs, but above 30% with donor eggs.1

Patient ageBirth rate with own eggsBirth rate with donor eggs
Under 35Not compared in this source34%1
43 and over5% or lower1Over 30%1
45 to 50Included in the 43-and-over figure above31%1
UK birth rates per embryo transferred, 2019 (provisional HFEA figures).

These are national averages, and the HFEA noted that the 2019 figures were provisional.1 Individual chances also depend on the recipient’s womb, general health and the sperm used. For age-related context, see how age affects IVF success.

Risks to consider

Using a donor through a licensed UK clinic carries very few risks from the donation itself, because donors are checked for serious genetic diseases and for infections including HIV, hepatitis, syphilis and gonorrhoea.2

The pregnancy itself is a different matter. A 2018 systematic review of six cohort studies found that egg donation was associated with a higher risk of pre-eclampsia (a pregnancy condition with high blood pressure that can be serious) in singleton pregnancies, with an odds ratio of 4.5.4 These were retrospective studies, so other factors, such as the older age of many recipients, may contribute; the evidence that the risk is raised is Moderate, but the size of the increase is less certain.

Donor eggs also do not remove the general pregnancy risks that rise with the age of the person carrying the pregnancy.7

Donor identity and family questions

In the UK, people conceived from donations made after 1 April 2005 can ask the HFEA for their donor’s name and address at 18.3 Donor-conceived people may also find a donor earlier through online DNA testing.3 A UK donor’s eggs may be used to create children in up to ten families, not counting the donor’s own.2

Donors have no legal rights or responsibilities towards children conceived through a licensed UK clinic.2 Clinics should offer the option of counselling about the complex issues involved.2 Rules on anonymity and payment differ between countries; see how fertility laws differ between countries.

Common questions

Can donors be paid in the UK?

No; it is illegal to pay a UK donor anything beyond reasonable expenses.3

Will the baby be genetically related to me?

Not to the person who carries the pregnancy, because the egg comes from the donor; the baby can be genetically related to a partner whose sperm is used.

Can I use frozen donor eggs?

Yes; in 2016 UK data, the birth rate per cycle using frozen donor eggs was around 30%.6 See also what to know about egg freezing.

Who can become an egg donor in the UK?

Women up to the age of 36 can donate or share their eggs, after strict health tests.3

Bottom line

Donor egg IVF can offer a much better chance of pregnancy when a person’s own eggs are unlikely to succeed, especially at older ages. It raises its own medical, emotional and legal questions, including a higher risk of pre-eclampsia, which are worth working through before treatment.

Sources

  1. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Fertility treatment 2019: trends and figures. HFEA. https://hfea.gov.uk/about-us/publications/research-and-data/fertility-treatment-2019-trends-and-figures/. Accessed 5 November 2026.
  2. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Using donated eggs, sperm or embryos in treatment. HFEA. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/using-donated-eggs-sperm-or-embryos-in-treatment. Accessed 5 November 2026.
  3. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Donors. HFEA. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/donation/donors. Accessed 5 November 2026.
  4. Schwarze JE, Borda P, Vásquez P, Ortega C, Villa S, Crosby JA, Pommer R. Is the risk of preeclampsia higher in donor oocyte pregnancies? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Jornal Brasileiro de Reprodução Assistida; 2018;22(1):15–19. doi:10.5935/1518-0557.20180001. https://investigadores.uandes.cl/es/publications/is-the-risk-of-preeclampsia-higher-in-donor-oocyte-pregnancies-a-/
  5. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Fertility treatment 2023: trends and figures. HFEA. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/publications/research-and-data/fertility-treatment-2023-trends-and-figures/. Accessed 5 November 2026.
  6. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Age is the key factor for egg freezing success says new HFEA report, as overall treatment numbers remain low. HFEA; 2018. https://hfea.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-press-releases/2018/press-release-age-is-the-key-factor-for-egg-freezing-success-says-new-hfea-report-as-overall-treatment-numbers-remain-low/. Accessed 5 November 2026.
  7. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Egg freezing. HFEA. https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/fertility-preservation/egg-freezing/. Accessed 5 November 2026.

Article history

  • — First published.