Can You Donate Eggs While on Birth Control?

Birth control is one of the most common questions women raise when they first look into egg donation. Hormonal contraception changes how the ovaries work, so it is natural to wonder whether it gets in the way of donating.

If you use birth control today, you can still apply. This guide explains which methods work with an egg donation cycle, which ones need to be stopped or removed, how long each one can delay your start and how the Donor Nexus team helps you plan around it.

Can you donate eggs while on birth control?

Yes, you can donate eggs while on birth control, though you may need to make some changes before your cycle begins. Hormonal methods prevent pregnancy by releasing estrogen, progestin or both, which can quiet ovulation. Your fertility clinic needs to control those hormones during a donation cycle, so some methods fit easily into the plan and others need a break first.

Keep using your current method while you apply, and do not stop or remove anything until the Donor Nexus team or your doctor tells you to. Every donor has a dedicated team from application to retrieval who helps plan that timing around school or work. Here is how each method usually affects egg donation at Donor Nexus, with your clinic's physician making the final call.

Can you donate eggs while on the pill or the ring?

Yes. Women who take birth control pills or use a vaginal ring can become egg donors, and you can usually keep using either one while you apply and wait to be matched. The pill does not use up your eggs, and fertility returns after you stop.

When you are matched or scheduled for the frozen egg bank, your physician will explain if and when to pause your current method. Be open with your case manager and doctor about exactly what you use, including the brand, so they can give you the right instructions.

Can you donate eggs with an IUD or a patch?

Usually yes, although your doctor may ask for a change before your cycle starts. A copper IUD does not release hormones, so it typically stays in place. A hormonal IUD releases progestin into the uterus and may need to be removed before your screening tests and cycle, depending on the doctor. Our post on donating eggs with an IUD covers each IUD type in more detail.

If you use the patch, plan to remove it and switch to birth control pills for your cycle. This change will not delay your start.

Can you donate eggs while on the birth control shot?

No, you cannot donate eggs while the birth control shot, Depo-Provera, is still active. Depo is a progestin injection that stops ovulation for months, and those hormones would interfere with your fertility testing and your response to stimulation medications.

You can still donate after you stop. Donor Nexus considers applicants about 3 months after the last Depo shot, once they have had at least one normal period. That first period can take a while to return. According to the Depo-Provera prescribing information, women who conceive after stopping do so a median of 10 months after the last injection.¹ If you are thinking about stopping Depo so you can donate, talk with our team first.

Can you donate eggs with a birth control implant?

Not with the implant in place. Nexplanon is a small rod in the upper arm that releases a steady dose of progestin, which would interfere with your cycle. Donor Nexus asks donors to have the implant removed and to have at least one regular period before starting the program.

The wait after an implant is usually shorter than after Depo. The Nexplanon prescribing information notes that pregnancies have occurred as early as 7 to 14 days after removal.²

Does birth control affect your egg donor screening?

Hormonal birth control can lower your AMH result a little while you use it. AMH is a blood test that helps estimate how many eggs are available in a cycle, and clinics use it along with an ultrasound follicle count during egg donor screening.

A 2021 study of 27,125 women found that AMH was about 24% lower in women using the combined birth control pill than in women not using contraception, while copper IUD users showed no meaningful difference.³ The authors linked the lower numbers to ovarian suppression during use and not to a permanent loss of eggs. Doctors who screen egg donors know this, so tell them what method you use and when you last took it. Our guide to AMH levels explains how to read the results.

How does birth control change during an egg donation cycle?

Once your cycle is scheduled, your clinic will usually put you on birth control pills for about 7 to 10 days before stimulation injections begin. Taking the pill for a short time helps your doctor time the cycle and start the follicles from a similar point. Our article on birth control before IVF explains the medical reasons in more depth.

After the pills, you start about 10 to 12 days of injections with monitoring appointments about every other morning. The steps are laid out on our egg donation process page.

Can you have sex during an egg donation cycle?

Use birth control if you are sexually active while you apply and wait to be matched. Once stimulation medications start, you need to avoid sex until your clinic clears you after retrieval. You are highly fertile during stimulation, many eggs are maturing at once, and condoms are not reliable enough in that window. A pregnancy could involve multiples and would mean the cycle is canceled.

To see the full list of egg donor requirements and how compensation works, visit our become an egg donor page. When you're ready, you can start your egg donor application online.

Frequently asked questions

Can you donate eggs while on birth control?

Yes. Birth control does not disqualify you from egg donation, but some methods need to be stopped or removed before your cycle, and your clinic will place you on birth control pills for a short time before stimulation.

Can you donate eggs while on the birth control shot?

Not while the shot is active. Donor Nexus considers applicants about 3 months after the last Depo-Provera injection, once they have had at least one normal period.

Do I have to remove my birth control implant to donate eggs?

Yes. The Nexplanon implant needs to come out, and Donor Nexus asks for at least one regular period after removal before a donor starts the program.

Should I stop birth control before applying to be an egg donor?

No. Keep using your current method while you apply and wait to be matched, and let your case manager and doctor tell you if and when to change it.

Can I have sex during my egg donation cycle if I use a condom?

No. Once stimulation medications start you are highly fertile, and condoms are not reliable enough, so donors avoid sex until the clinic clears them after retrieval.

Sources

1. Pfizer. Depo-Provera CI (medroxyprogesterone acetate injectable suspension) prescribing information, section 5.15 Return of Fertility. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2025. accessdata.fda.gov
2. Organon. Nexplanon (etonogestrel implant) prescribing information, section 5.14 Return to Ovulation. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. accessdata.fda.gov
3. Hariton E, et al. Anti-Müllerian hormone levels among contraceptive users: evidence from a cross-sectional cohort of 27,125 individuals. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2021;225(5):515.e1-515.e10. ajog.org

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