Most donors perform this kind gesture out of altruism; this is also the case in Eugin Clinic
Many women who receive assisted reproductive treatment based on donating eggs ask themselves why another woman suddenly decided to donate her eggs to help them have a child. The response to this question is given by a study presented recently at the prestigious annual congress of the ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology). And in most cases, the reason is altruism.
The study, which was presented at the 29th edition of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology Congress, included more than 1,400 donors with an average age of 27 years from 60 assisted reproduction clinics and from 11 European countries, for the purpose of painting a picture of the women who had decided to donate their eggs.
Altruism, the main reason
In 46% of cases, altruism was the main reason given by the donors when deciding to donate their eggs. This percentage rose to 79% in women aged over 35. With respect to women donating their oocytes only for economic compensation, these accounted for only 10% of the total.
The study also provided relevant data about the educational level and civil status of the donors. With respect to education, practically one-third of donors had studied at university and one out of every two already had a child.
The Eugin donors: the appropriate profile
The study data coincide in full with the Eugin donor profile: the average age is approximately 26, altruism is the reason given by two out of every three donors and seven out of every ten donors have completed their secondary school studies.
On the other hand most of our donors are currently employed; this fact refutes the theory that women donate their eggs only in return for economic compensation (as occurs in some countries from Eastern Europe, where the number of women donating their eggs solely for economic reasons exceeds 40% of the total).
Eugin has a strict protocol in place for selecting its donors. Only one out of every three women who want to donate their eggs can do so based on the necessary requirements. In addition, more than 84% of our egg donors are of Spanish origin.
Spain, the leader in donating organs
For more than twenty years, Spain has consolidated its position as the leader in donating organs. With a donation rate of 34.8 donors per million inhabitants, Spain is well above the European average, which stands at 19. This information strengthens the altruistic nature of Spanish society, which culturally speaking, regards the donation of organs as something that is perfectly normal.
Infography: How do we select our donors?
Study references: Oocyte donors in Europe: who are they? J. De Mouzon, F. Shenfield, A. Ruiz, V. Goossens, A.P. Ferraretti, T. Mardesic, G. Pennings. Abstracts of the 29th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, London, United Kingdom, 7–10 July 2013.
