4 Little-Known Things That Can Reduce The Quality And Quantity Of A Woman's Eggs

Posted on: 15 December 2016

When you are considering egg donation, you are likely thinking about the family who would end up with your eggs and, consequently, offspring that is biologically related to you. Although egg donation is much different than adoption since you never conceive a child in your own body, it can be a very personal and emotional choice. Here are some lesser-known things that can cause a woman to need your egg donation because of a reduction in the quality or quantity of her own eggs.

Autoimmunity Issues

Many women face autoimmunity diseases and issues as part of other health conditions. They may not even realize that it will affect their ability to have a baby until they try to get pregnant, and they are then in for a rude awakening. When a woman has autoimmunity problems, her body may be attacking its own healthy tissues and cells. Some problems that can cause her fertility issues include lupus, diabetes, and celiac disease. The pain of fighting against such a disease can be heightened when a woman realizes that she is also facing upcoming fertility issues because of the illness.

Chemotherapy

As if cancer and its harsh treatment options weren't stressful enough, sometimes a woman who is undergoing chemotherapy will have reduced egg quantity or quality. Since it is a necessary treatment option to help women survive many types of cancers, they don't often consider the fact that the drugs used in chemotherapy are going to be hard on healthy cells as it blasts the unhealthy ones. It can leave a woman with serious fertility issues, among other problems, which can escalate the emotional effects of cancer and its treatment.

Premature Menopause

A lot of people don't realize that woman can experience menopause very early in life. In fact, early menopause can happen in a woman's thirties and sometimes even earlier than that. A woman who goes through premature menopause will typically be unable to conceive a child, and that can be devastating for someone who had always planned on having a child someday. Since it can come on unexpectedly without prior warning signs, that can be especially troubling to some women.

Finally, keep in mind that only you can decide whether egg donation is the best fit for your lifestyle and desires. Nobody can offer advice that can make that decision any less of your own responsibility. However, when considering this big life decision, keep in mind the reasons that a woman, and subsequently her family, may need your donation. Read more on egg donation on fertility sites. 

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