Brussels fertility centre launches appeal for egg donors

The fertility centre of UZ Brussels hospital is strongly urging women to consider becoming an egg donor. About 170 couples in Brussels are waiting on an egg donor, and the waiting list continues to grow, reports Flemish public broadcasting network VRT. There is a serious shortage of egg donors, confirms gynaecologist Dominic Stoop of the UZ Brussels Centre for Reproductive Medicine.

More and more people rely on fertility treatment in order to have children, often because they postponed having children for too long or because a genetic disorder prevents them from conceiving. While the waiting list for those in need of sperm is not exceedingly long, couples have to wait much longer for a suitable egg.

Eligible donors are often put off by the hormonal treatment involved in egg donation. Stoop is nonetheless urging women to consider becoming a donor. "Egg donation is completely anonymous," he told VRT.