Donating Eggs to Pay for IVF

IVF is expensive – we know because we’ve been there. According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), the average cost of an IVF cycle in the US is $10,000-$15,000, not including thousands for medication. But, like with any medical costs, that completely depends on your insurance coverage, your own health status, and your clinic.

In addition to grants, you may be exploring other ways to get creative with paying for IVF, like doing Split Cycle IVF. But what exactly does that entail? 

Can I donate my eggs to pay for IVF?

As part of our Split offering, women can freeze their eggs for free when donating half to a family that can’t otherwise conceive. That means the cost of medication and egg retrieval would be completely covered, and you would only be responsible for the costs incurred after the egg retrieval (e.g. fertilization, genetic testing, embryo transfer).

Can I share a round of IVF?

Most women in our Split program freeze and store their eggs for years before needing them, as they are not actively trying to get pregnant. However, there’s no reason you couldn’t immediately fertilize the eggs to create embryos, and then transfer an embryo in efforts to get pregnant soon after the egg retrieval. This isn’t technically “sharing” a round of IVF, but it is a way to help another family while getting a major portion of IVF covered. 

Egg donation followed by IVF cycle

Egg freezing and egg donation are the same medical procedure – the ovaries are stimulated with hormones to produce multiple eggs, and then those eggs are retrieved from the ovaries.  This is also the first part of IVF. So people who are freezing their eggs are going through the same exact steps that someone going through IVF goes through for an egg retrieval. 

If you participate in our Split program, you would freeze your eggs (with the support of our team, as well as other women going through the process at the same time!) and donate half to a family. The other half would be yours to then have fertilized, tested, and transferred into your uterus. 

Who is eligible for our Spit program?

Through our Split program, you can freeze your eggs for free if you donate half to a family who can’t otherwise conceive. But, importantly, several factors may limit your eligibility. Some of these are official disqualifiers based on regulations by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Others are discretionary disqualifications based on recommendations by governing bodies like the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).  

To qualify for the program, among other factors, you must:

• Have both ovaries
• Be between ages 21-33
• Have a BMI less than 29, due to limitations on medication administration and egg retrieval complexities
• Be physically and emotionally healthy with no genetic or reproductive disorders/abnormalities
• Be a non-smoker and abstain from recreational drugs or Depo Provera birth control 

Read more in The Ultimate Guide to the Split Program.

We believe that egg freezing and IVF should be more affordable and accessible. That’s why we’ve built Cofertility. If we can help you on your journey, please reach out!