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Can You Donate Eggs if You’re Using Birth Control?

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The short answer is that it depends on what kind of birth control you use. You can usually donate eggs even if you take birth control pills or have a NuvaRing. Depending on your doctor and clinic, birth control methods like the patch or an IUD may need to be removed.

But methods like the birth control shot (Depo) and arm implants (Nexplanon or Implanon) will delay your cycle because you will have to stop using them and wait a while before donating your eggs.

This blog will talk about what to expect based on the method of birth control you use or have used.

Can You Donate Eggs to Stop Having Kids? Which Forms Work Together?

Birth control, which is also called contraception, is made up of hormones that change how the body works and stop pregnancy from happening. Even though you can still be an egg donor if you use birth control, you may need to make some changes before you start your egg donation cycle. First, we’ll give a quick overview of birth control methods that work well together and those that don’t.

During Depo, Can You Donate Eggs?

You can’t give eggs away while on Depo. Depo-Provera also called “the shot,” is an injection to prevent pregnancy, and it releases a hormone called progestin into your body to stop you from ovulating. The hormones you inject will mess up your egg donation cycle and make your fertility tests yield the wrong results.

If You Have a Birth Control Implant, Can You Still Donate Eggs?

Nexplanon or Implanon is a small rod about the size of a matchstick that releases hormones into your body to stop you from getting pregnant. If you have a birth control implant, you can’t give eggs because the hormones from the implant will mess up your cycle.

Can You Give Eggs Away if You’re Taking Birth Control?

Birth control pills work like hormone-based medicine, and the hormones (estrogen or progestin) stop a woman from getting pregnant. Since birth control pills don’t make a woman less fertile, women who take them can still donate eggs.

While waiting to be matched, it’s usually fine to keep taking your birth control pills. Your doctor will let you know if and when you should stop taking them. As an egg donor, you’ll need to be honest and open with your agency’s Case Manager and the doctor to get the necessary instructions for the process.

Can You Give Eggs Away Using a Nuvaring or a Birth Control Patch?

You can give eggs away if you have a NuvaRing. If you use a birth control patch, you may need to take it off and switch to BCPs for the cycle.

Most of the time, doctors will have you take BCPs for 7 to 10 days before they give you stimulants. This has been shown to help the follicles (structures that hold eggs) grow at the same rate, which means that more mature eggs can be taken out.

Is It Okay to Get Sexual During the Process of Egg Donation?

If you are sexually active and want to be a donor, you should always use birth control. Once you are chosen to be an egg donor and start taking drugs to make your eggs grow, you should not drink or do drugs. You will be very fertile and won’t use birth control during this time.

During the stimulation period, which lasts about 12 to 14 days, you must stop having sex. If you have sex during this time, you will likely get pregnant with more than one child. The egg donation cycle would be canceled, meaning the donor wouldn’t get paid.

Even if you use a condom, the risk is too high because your eggs are already ready to make a baby. Egg donors are usually well-informed before they give their eggs, so this rarely happens.

One Last Thing

So, to answer the question, “Can I use birth control and still donate eggs?” Yes, that’s the answer. We hope that this blog has helped you know what to expect. Even though the egg donation process might mess up your birth control, you can still be a good egg donor.

Before giving up your birth control method, you should start the application process to become an egg donor or get in touch with the Rite Options team to determine if you qualify for our egg donor program. If you have any more questions, our team is always here to help!