The Ultimate Guide to the Split Program

Cofertility's Split program offers a unique opportunity: freeze your eggs for free when you donate half to a family who needs them. If you’re eligible for the program, your egg freezing procedure, medications, any travel, and ten years of storage will be completely free of charge. 

This guide explains how the program works, who qualifies, what the process involves, and important considerations around egg donation. Whether you're exploring egg freezing options or specifically interested in Split, you'll find clear answers to your questions about eligibility requirements, the matching process, medical screenings, and what happens after donation.

Where do my donated eggs go?

Many different families need donor eggs to have children. These include:

• Couples experiencing infertility
• LGBTQ+ couples
• Cancer survivors
• Women with age-related fertility decline
• Single intended parents

Cofertility welcomes all intended parents to our platform to find their match. The families who receive your donated eggs have often tried multiple approaches to building their family before turning to egg donation.

Who qualifies for the Split program?

While we aim to make Split widely available, we maintain guidelines to protect everyone involved.

To qualify for the program, you must:

• Have both ovaries
• Be between ages 21-33
• Have a BMI less than 29 (for medication safety and procedure effectiveness)
• Be physically and emotionally healthy with no genetic or reproductive disorders
• Be a non-smoker and abstain from recreational drugs and Depo Provera birth control

If you're currently pregnant or breastfeeding, you may still qualify but will need to wait until you've stopped breastfeeding and had at least one menstrual cycle. You'll also need to provide a complete medical history about yourself and your biological family members.

How does the process work?

The Split program involves several steps from application through egg retrieval:

Take the initial quiz

Start with our quick one-minute quiz to see if you might qualify for Split. This gives us basic information about your health and background.

Submit your program application

If your quiz responses indicate potential eligibility, you'll complete a full application. This determines your qualification and helps create your profile that intended parents will see.

Consultation with our team

After passing the initial screening, you'll speak with a Member Advocate who can answer your questions and make sure you understand the process before your profile goes live.

Sign the Split program agreement

We'll send you an agreement outlining the program details. This agreement remains non-binding until you begin your egg retrieval cycle, and it's written in clear language. Our team is available to explain anything you don't understand.

Complete initial testing

You'll take a free AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) test to assess your ovarian reserve. Fertility doctors typically look for an AMH level above 2.0 ng/ml for egg donation, as this suggests you'll likely respond well to fertility treatments and produce enough eggs for both donation and personal use. You’ll also take a free genetic test to tell you whether you carry a gene for certain genetic disorders.

Match with intended parents (optional)

Your profile will be listed on our platform for intended parents to view. Once matched, you'll have a dedicated Member Advocate to guide you through every single step. You can choose to meet the intended parents before proceeding. 

Complete medical screening

After matching, you'll undergo physical screening based on FDA, ASRM, and industry guidelines. This includes bloodwork and a vaginal ultrasound to evaluate your ovarian reserve. Depending on your location, testing may happen at a clinic near you or require some travel (which we organize and pay for).

Start your egg freezing cycle

If approved, you'll begin the stimulation phase. You'll take injectable medications to encourage your ovaries to mature multiple eggs simultaneously. While this might sound intimidating, we provide detailed tutorials and support. A fertility doctor will monitor your progress throughout the 10-14 day stimulation period.

Egg retrieval

When your eggs reach peak maturity, you'll undergo the egg retrieval procedure. This outpatient procedure takes about 30 minutes under sedation. The doctor uses ultrasound guidance to remove the eggs vaginally.

Immediately after retrieval, half the eggs are frozen and stored for you (free for 10 years). You can access them anytime and have them shipped to your chosen fertility clinic. The other half go to the intended parents for fertilization. If an odd number of eggs is retrieved, the additional egg goes to the intended parents.

Next steps

Depending on your family planning goals and how many eggs are retrieved in your first cycle, you might decide to complete a second cycle. 

For women under 35, studies show an average of 18-21 eggs retrieved per cycle, closely correlated with AMH levels. Research indicates that freezing nine eggs gives women under 35 approximately a 70% chance at a live birth.

What will I know about potential genetic offspring and what will they know about me? 

When you join Cofertility, you'll choose between two contact options:

• Disclosed donation: You meet the family (virtually or by phone) before finalizing the match. The relationship afterwards develops according to both parties' preferences.
• Undisclosed donation: You match without meeting the family and communicate only through Cofertility, with no contact information exchanged. If both parties agree, we can facilitate a phone or video meeting in which you can speak without sharing names.

In the case a donor-conceived child experiences a serious medical condition, you may need to provide medical information to us, the fertility clinic, or the intended parents. Also, if new information comes up about your medical history, we’ll need you to let us know. The intended parents are required to do the same. This is in everyone’s best interest so everyone can be made aware of unknown medical conditions that occur.     

Based on psychological research, we encourage families to be open with children about their conception story. As donor-conceived children grow up, they may become curious about their genetics and wish to connect. This is something to carefully consider before joining the Split program.

What Split members say about their experience

We recently surveyed Split members about their experiences. Here’s what they said:

• Strong preference for egg sharing: 88% of respondents said they were more motivated to donate eggs through egg sharing than through traditional cash compensation. Many expressed feeling more comfortable helping a family while preserving their own fertility options.
• High satisfaction rates: 97.4% of members agreed or strongly agreed that regardless of their own family-building journey, they were glad to have participated in the Split program. This exceeds industry standards compared to similar programs in other countries.
• Evolving motivation: Many members noted that while they initially joined for the free egg freezing benefit, meeting the intended parents shifted their perspective. As one member shared: "I initially started this process mostly thinking about the free egg freezing benefits for myself, but after virtually meeting the IPs I am donating to, it made me so much more excited for that part of the process, and that I'm able to help such a great couple start a family of their own."
• Practical value: Members frequently mentioned appreciating the financial accessibility of fertility preservation. As one participant noted: "It really is problematic that your eggs are most viable when you have the least in your bank. This Cofertility split program has given me the chance to secure my eggs while they are still viable without worrying about cost, and the bonus is that I get to help a family in need as well."

Summing it up

Freezing your eggs—especially when donating half—is a huge decision. We hope this overview provides a solid foundation to help you determine whether the Split program aligns with your values and goals. Our team remains available to address any additional questions as you consider this option.

Read more:

• Should I Freeze Eggs or Embryos?
• Does Donating Eggs Affect Your Fertility?
• Will I Regret Donating My Eggs?