Surrogacy and Egg Donation FAQ for Intended Parents, Surrogates, and Donors
Summary
Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute (EDSI) provides clear answers to the most common surrogacy and egg donation questions for intended parents, surrogates, and donors. This FAQ is designed for fast search indexing and supports families who want expert guidance at every step.
What are the most common questions asked about surrogacy and egg donation with EDSI?
Families want quick answers about how surrogacy and egg donation work. This page gives you the most common questions asked at EDSI in one place.
EDSI provides clear guidance based on real questions from intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors. The goal is to give you fast, trustworthy information without confusion or long searches.
At Egg Donor and Surrogacy Institute (EDSI) you receive support from a team with more than twenty years of experience. Each answer reflects clinical insight, emotional support, and practical knowledge gathered from thousands of family building journeys.
Use the category buttons below to find answers that match your path forward.
for intended parents
In this part of our surrogacy and egg donation FAQ, intended parents will find answers about matching, costs, legal steps, and what to expect throughout the process.
If you are considering using surrogacy to achieve your goals of starting a family or extending your family, we can help you get there.
What medical and fertility questions do intended parents often ask during surrogacy
Intended parents often want to understand clinic safety, embryo transfer success, and how their medical history affects the journey. These answers help families feel informed as they move into matching and treatment.
Yes. Many intended parents continue working with their own fertility doctor for IVF, egg retrieval, and embryo creation...
With modern reproductive medicine, many HIV positive intended fathers can safely use their sperm for IVF...
In some journeys, a surrogate may carry twins...
Surrogacy involves medical treatment, so there is always a chance that an embryo transfer does not result in pregnancy...
In an egg donation cycle, the donor first takes hormone medications...
How does the surrogacy matching process work with EDSI
Matching begins with your preferences and medical history. EDSI screens every surrogate and guides you through selection, contracts, and the embryo transfer timeline with clear updates at every step.
Many intended parents match with a pre screened surrogate in about 1 to 3 months...
The process begins with a consultation and intake so our team can understand your background and goals...
From first consultation to birth, most journeys take about 15 to 24 months...
To begin, you schedule a consultation with EDSI...
It is very common for egg donors and surrogates to live in a different location...
What legal and contract questions should families expect during surrogacy
Legal steps ensure parentage, clarify responsibilities, and protect both the surrogate and intended parents. Each family works with dedicated reproductive attorneys during the journey.
Surrogacy contracts are enforceable in many surrogacy friendly states...
Surrogacy laws vary from state to state and country to country...
A surrogacy contract is a detailed legal agreement...
Surrogacy friendly states offer clear legal parentage routes and strong protections...
The biological parent is the person whose eggs or sperm are used...
Intended parents are recognised as the legal parents through court orders...
What should intended parents know about surrogacy cost and insurance
Surrogacy has medical, legal, and agency related costs. Insurance may cover parts of the process depending on policy language and your chosen clinic.
Some parts of surrogacy may be covered by insurance...
Yes. Many intended parents combine savings, employer benefits, and financing options...
Even in altruistic journeys, costs such as IVF, legal work, and prenatal care must still be covered...
How do international intended parents navigate their surrogacy journey with EDSI
International families rely on EDSI for legal planning, clinic coordination, communication, and support across time zones and locations.
In the United Kingdom, surrogacy agreements are not legally binding...
In South Africa, surrogacy must be approved by a High Court before treatment begins...
Australia regulates surrogacy at the state level and does not allow compensated surrogacy...
Canada allows altruistic surrogacy but does not allow compensation beyond expenses...
What should different family types know about egg donation and surrogacy
Intended parents may include couples, LGBTQIA+ families, single parents, and international families. EDSI supports every path with clear matching and legal planning.
Surrogacy can support many different family stories...
Yes. EDSI proudly welcomes LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, as well as single intended parents...
For many gay couples, surrogacy involves selecting an egg donor...
In many programs, yes. EDSI offers anonymous, semi known, and fully known arrangements...
EDSI provides detailed egg donor profiles with medical history, education, and photos when available...
Full donor profiles require private registration to protect donor confidentiality...
What basic surrogacy definitions should intended parents understand
Key terms like gestational carrier, parentage order, embryo transfer, and donor conception help intended parents follow medical and legal steps with confidence.
In gestational surrogacy, embryos are created in a fertility clinic...
A surrogate is a woman who carries a baby for intended parents who cannot carry on their own...
In gestational surrogacy, the surrogate is not the biological or legal mother...
If the embryo is created with your own egg and sperm, the baby is biologically related...
The term surrogate refers to a woman who agrees to carry a baby for someone else...
Most surrogates are women who have completed their own families, enjoyed pregnancy, and want to help others...
for surrogates
This section of the surrogacy and egg donation FAQ is designed for women considering becoming a surrogate, covering compensation, screening, and support.
To apply to become a Surrogate, please click the button bellow and you will be taken to our online application.
What medical and fertility questions do surrogates often ask
Surrogates usually want to understand clinic rules, medical safety, embryo transfer risks, and how their own health history affects eligibility. This helps them feel confident and prepared before starting the journey.
Yes. Many intended parents can continue working with their own fertility doctor...
Yes. With current reproductive medicine, HIV positive intended fathers can safely use their sperm...
Yes. A surrogate can carry twins if she is medically cleared and agrees to this in advance...
Surrogacy is a medical process, so there is always a chance that an embryo transfer does not work...
In an egg donation cycle, the donor first takes hormonal medicine...
How does the matching and surrogacy process work for surrogates
The process begins with screening and matching, followed by legal steps and medical preparation. Surrogates receive ongoing support, clear timelines, and regular updates throughout the journey.
Many families match with a pre screened surrogate in about 1 to 3 months...
The surrogacy process begins with a consultation and intake...
From your first consultation to birth, most journeys take about 15 to 24 months...
The first step is a consultation with EDSI where we review your story...
Many intended parents work with egg donors and surrogates who live in another state...
What legal and contract questions should surrogates expect
Surrogates review a contract that explains compensation, medical choices, rights, and expectations. Local laws guide the process, and each surrogate has her own lawyer to protect her interests.
Surrogacy contracts are enforceable in many surrogacy friendly states...
Surrogacy laws set the rules for who can participate...
A surrogacy contract is a legal agreement between intended parents and a surrogate...
Surrogacy friendly states are places where courts and lawmakers support gestational surrogacy...
The biological parent in surrogacy is the person whose egg or sperm is used...
What should surrogates know about cost insurance and financial planning
Surrogates do not pay any costs. Intended parents cover medical care, travel, legal fees, and insurance. Compensation and reimbursements are outlined clearly in the agreement.
Some parts of a surrogacy journey may be covered by insurance...
Yes. Many intended parents use a mix of fertility loans, savings...
Some families pursue altruistic journeys where a friend carries without base pay...
International surrogacy paths
International families may follow different rules depending on their home country, but surrogates work under United States guidelines. EDSI manages logistics, communication, and expectations for cross border journeys.
In the United Kingdom, intended parents usually find a surrogate through personal networks...
In South Africa, surrogacy is governed by the Children Act...
In Australia, each state sets its own rules...
How do international intended parents navigate surrogacy with EDSI
International intended parents rely on EDSI for legal guidance, matching, communication, and secure systems that keep the process organised across locations.
Surrogacy supports many paths to parenthood...
Yes. EDSI proudly serves LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and single parents...
What basic surrogacy definitions should surrogates understand
Understanding basic terms such as gestational carrier, legal parentage, embryo transfer, and IVF helps surrogates follow the process with clarity and confidence.
In gestational surrogacy, embryos are created through IVF...
A surrogate is a woman who chooses to carry a baby for intended parents...
for donors
In this portion of the surrogacy and egg donation FAQ, egg donors can explore how the process works, what to expect medically, and how EDSI supports them throughout.
If you want to be an Egg Donor, please click the button bellow and you will be taken to our online registration.
What are the eligibility and requirements for egg donors
Egg donors must meet medical age and lifestyle guidelines so clinics can confirm that they are healthy and ready for the donation process.
Most egg donors are women between 21 and 31 years old who are healthy...
Yes. You can still donate eggs if your tubes are tied...
Yes. Many donors complete multiple cycles...
How does matching and timeline work for egg donors
Matching depends on donor profile details and recipient preferences, and most donors match within a few weeks to a few months.
Matching time depends on your profile...
After matching, the process typically takes eight to twelve weeks...
If a recipient changes their plans...
What is the medical process for egg donation
The medical process includes screening, monitored medication, and a short outpatient retrieval that allows for quick recovery.
The process includes screening, medication, monitoring...
The eggs are collected through a short outpatient procedure...
No. Donating eggs does not reduce your fertility...
How do compensation and costs work for egg donors
Donors receive a set compensation and all medical travel and related costs are fully paid by the intended parents through secure escrow.
All medical, travel, and related expenses are paid by the recipient family...
Compensation varies based on experience and background...
Yes. The IRS generally considers donor compensation taxable income...
Where can intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors find trusted support online
EDSI works with national partners, legal experts, and medical professionals that provide reliable education for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors. These resources help families feel more confident as they explore the steps of assisted reproduction.
• Resolve National Infertility Association
Educational support for fertility treatment along with peer networks for intended parents.
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Guidelines for donors, surrogates, and intended parents created by medical specialists.
• SeedTrust Escrow
Independent escrow services that protect funds for intended parents and surrogates during treatment.
• Family Equality
Resources for LGBTQIA plus families exploring surrogacy and egg donation.
• CDC Assisted Reproductive Technology Reports
United States data on IVF outcomes, clinics, and national fertility statistics.
