Seventeen US egg donor programs had a donor-facing page checked in October 2026. Two publish an explicit statement on LGBTQ, sexual-orientation, or gender-identity donors. Six of the 17 publish any sex or gender wording at all. The other 11 say nothing on this, and those 11 are Unpublished. None of the checked pages says "assigned female at birth" or "born female." One program states an exclusion tied to gender-affirming care: SIMPLIFY will not take candidates who have taken testosterone. This is not medical or legal advice.
Two programs publish a rule. Eleven publish nothing.
The check covered donor-facing pages at 17 US egg banks, agencies, and clinics. Full means the page was read in full. Snippet means the quoted line was confirmed from indexed page text, not from a full-page read. Circle Surrogacy is marked Partial because the donor FAQ URL now redirects. Twenty other programs in the requested scope were not verified. They are left out of the counts, not marked Unpublished.
What the two inclusive pages actually say
SIMPLIFY Egg Bank in Seattle, partner clinic Pacific Northwest Fertility, says: "SIMPLIFY welcomes egg donor candidates of all sexualities and gender identities." The same page says the requirements "do not disqualify candidates based on gender identity or sexuality." It also says: "Unfortunately, candidates that have taken or are currently taking testosterone are not eligible to donate with SIMPLIFY." Donors who have had gender-affirming surgery "may still be able to donate if their ovaries still function and are accessible." This page was read in full. It is a blog post, not the formal requirements page.
Elevate Baby, a Los Angeles agency, says: "Your sexual orientation does not impact your ability to donate eggs. Whether you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary, you are welcome to apply so long as you meet the medical and legal criteria." On trans and nonbinary applicants it states no hard rule. It says "eligibility may depend on whether you have undergone hormone therapy or gender-affirming procedures that affect fertility." This page was also read in full, and it is also a blog post.
"Women" and "female" are not a trans policy
Four programs state the donor rule as women or female. Fairfax EggBank says "Women between the ages of 19 to 30 are eligible to apply to be an egg donor." Shady Grove Fertility says "Women between the ages of 21 to 30 with good overall health." The World Egg and Sperm Bank says "Women between ages 18-31." CCRM's prescreen acknowledgment says the applicant must "be a female between the age of 21- 33." Those lines were confirmed from indexed page text, not a full-page read. They do not say how a trans man or a nonbinary person with ovaries would be treated. They are not evidence that those applicants are excluded.
Some programs skip gendered nouns and list the body instead. Growing Generations and Egg Donor America say "Have both ovaries." Fairfax lists "Healthy reproductive function and both ovaries." Johns Hopkins says "If you are a healthy person between the ages of 21 and 31, you may be able to help by anonymously donating eggs." Johns Hopkins is still Unpublished on orientation and gender identity. Neutral wording is not an inclusive policy.
| Program | Classification | What the donor page says | Check | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIMPLIFY Egg Bank (WA) | Inclusive, plus a testosterone exclusion | "SIMPLIFY welcomes egg donor candidates of all sexualities and gender identities." Testosterone use: "not eligible to donate with SIMPLIFY." | Full | https://www.simplifyeggbank.com/blog/lgbtq-egg-donors |
| Elevate Baby (CA agency) | Inclusive | "Whether you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary, you are welcome to apply so long as you meet the medical and legal criteria." | Full | https://elevatebaby.com/blog/can-lgbtq-individuals-donate-eggs/ |
| Fairfax EggBank | Generic "women" | "Women between the ages of 19 to 30 are eligible to apply to be an egg donor." Also: "Healthy reproductive function and both ovaries." Nothing on orientation or gender identity. | Snippet | https://www.fairfaxeggbank.com/egg-donor-process/ |
| Shady Grove Fertility | Generic "women" | "Women between the ages of 21 to 30 with good overall health" | Snippet | https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/become-egg-donor/ |
| The World Egg and Sperm Bank (AZ) | Generic "women" | "Women between ages 18-31" | Snippet | https://www.theworldeggandspermbank.com/donors-egg/ |
| CCRM Fertility | Generic "female" | Prescreen: "I be a female between the age of 21- 33, a non-smoker, non-drug user…" | Snippet | https://ccrmivf.eggdonorconnect.com/donorprescreen/ |
| Donor Egg Bank USA | Unpublished | Lists age, health, and work status. No orientation or gender-identity rule. | Snippet | https://www.donate-eggs.com/faqs |
| MyEggBank | Unpublished | "Being between the ages of 21 to 31." LGBTQ content found was patient-facing only. | Snippet | https://www.myeggbank.com/blog/egg-donor-requirements-are-you-eligible-to-become-an-egg-donor |
| Egg Donor America | Unpublished | "Between the ages of 21 and 31" and "Have both ovaries." | Snippet | https://www.eggdonoramerica.com/become-egg-donor |
| ConceiveAbilities | Unpublished | Requirements list citizenship and "Between 21-28 years of age." Intro text says "young women" as a description, not as a stated rule. | Snippet | https://www.conceiveabilities.com/egg-donors/egg-donor-requirements/ |
| Tiny Treasures | Unpublished | "Egg Donors must be between the ages of 21 and 32 and in good health." | Snippet | https://tinytreasuresagency.com/donors/requirements/index.html |
| Growing Generations | Unpublished | "Between the ages of 21-29 years old." "Have both ovaries." "Have regular menstrual periods." | Full | https://www.growinggenerations.com/egg-donation/egg-donor-requirements |
| Circle Surrogacy & Egg Donation | Unpublished | Donor FAQ URL redirects to the surrogacy FAQ. A donor blog says it answered questions "young women have about egg donation," as a description. | Partial | https://www.circlesurrogacy.com/post/the-7-most-asked-questions-about-becoming-an-egg-donor |
| Cofertility (Split) | Unpublished | No donor rule on orientation or gender identity. A nondiscrimination line about gender identity and sexual orientation is on the intended-parent FAQ, not counted here. | Snippet | https://www.cofertility.com/freeze-learn/disqualifications-for-egg-donation-an-overview |
| Johns Hopkins Fertility Center | Unpublished (neutral wording) | "If you are a healthy person between the ages of 21 and 31, you may be able to help by anonymously donating eggs…" | Snippet | https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/gynecology-obstetrics/specialty-areas/fertility-center/infertility-services/egg-donor |
| Houston Fertility Solutions | Unpublished | "Egg Donors must be between the ages of 21 and 32 and in good health." | Snippet | https://houstonfertilitysolutions.com/become-an-donor/ |
| Invia Fertility (IL) | Unpublished | "You must be between 21 and 29 years of age." | Snippet | https://www.inviafertility.com/egg-donor-program-expectations-and-requirements |
Who was not counted
These programs were in the requested scope and were not verified, so they are excluded rather than guessed: Cryos International US, Kindbody, Spring Fertility, Pacific Fertility Center LA, Seattle Reproductive Medicine, Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine, NYU Langone, Columbia, Stanford, UCSF, RMA/IVI-RMA, Egg Donation Inc, Elite Donors, Donor Nexus, Family Source Consultants, Northwest Egg Bank, Ovogenix, Fertility Source Companies, Pinnacle Fertility, and Nest Egg Donation. UCSF's only page found was a patient-facing LGBTQ page. It says "Our donors are between the ages of 21 and 33," and it was not counted as a donor-policy check. The only Cryos requirements page found was Cryos Denmark. It is not used as a US rule.
The federal rule that does reach egg donors
Donated sperm and eggs are both reproductive HCT/Ps under 21 CFR Part 1271, subpart C. FDA's guidance page says those regulations set donor-eligibility requirements, including screening and testing, for donors of human cells and tissues. The binding rule is the regulation. FDA guidance documents are recommendations.
FDA's August 2007 guidance, Eligibility Determination for Donors of HCT/Ps, section IV.E, lists risk factors that make a donor ineligible. Item 1 is male-specific: "Men who have had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years." That item does not apply to an egg donor as her own history. Item 5 does reach egg donors, and it is gender-neutral: "Persons who have had sex in the preceding 12 months with any person described in criteria 1 through 4 of this section or with any person who has HIV infection." The guidance says these requirements apply to all donors of cells or tissue used in HCT/Ps, except as provided under § 1271.90. A female oocyte donor whose male partner had sex with a man in the preceding 5 years would be ineligible for anonymous (non-identified) donation under that 2007 framework. A lesbian, bisexual, or queer woman is not deferred for her own orientation. The deferral turns on her partners' history.
Known donation is different. ASRM's summary of the FDA requirements says non-identified (anonymous) tissue must be eligible to use, while directed (known) ineligible tissue may be used with appropriate labeling and consent. No egg program verified here quotes or explains the partner-history rule on its donor pages.
An FDA warning letter dated January 29, 2026, to Central Coast Multispecialty Medical Group, faulted a clinic form that failed to screen for persons who have had sex in the preceding 12 months with any person who has had sex with a man who has had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years. That letter shows the 2007 criteria were still being applied. One letter is not a policy statement.
What ASRM says, and who it is talking about
ASRM's gamete-donation guidance says it summarizes FDA donor-eligibility rules for donor oocytes, sperm, or embryos, and that FDA donor eligibility "focuses on infectious risk." It sets no sexual-orientation or gender-identity donor criterion beyond FDA's.
Two ASRM ethics opinions cover patients, not donors. The 2021 opinion on access to fertility treatment, replacing the 2013 opinion, says programs should treat single people, unmarried couples, and DSG individuals and couples the same way as cisgender heterosexual married couples when deciding which services to provide. A 2021 opinion on transgender and nonbinary persons (Fertility and Sterility, 2021, volume 115, pages 874 to 878) says transgender identity or status by itself should not bar a person from fertility preservation and assisted reproductive services. Neither opinion is a donor eligibility rule. A 2026 Fertility and Sterility committee opinion discusses higher STI rates among some LGBTQ+ subgroups and FDA ineligibility for sperm-providing intended fathers. That passage is about sperm sources, not egg donors.
What to ask before you apply
Most of these pages will not answer the question. Ask the program in writing, and keep the reply. The three questions worth sending are below. Medical criteria such as ovaries, cycles, and testosterone use can affect trans and nonbinary applicants whether or not the program has an identity policy.
- 1
Ask who they accept
"Do you accept donors who are lesbian, bisexual, or queer, trans, or nonbinary?"
- 2
Ask about testosterone
"Do you accept donors with past or current testosterone use?"
- 3
Ask which federal questions you will get
"Which FDA sexual-history questions will I be asked?"
This check covers 17 programs, short of a 25 to 45 program target. Most quotes are from indexed page text, so re-open every Snippet row before treating it as a full-page read.
Can lesbian or bisexual women donate eggs?
No checked program publishes a ban based on a donor's own orientation. SIMPLIFY and Elevate Baby say orientation does not disqualify an applicant who meets the medical and legal criteria. Eleven programs publish nothing. FDA's 2007 framework does not defer a lesbian, bisexual, or queer woman for her own orientation. It can defer her based on a partner's history.
Can trans men or nonbinary people donate eggs?
SIMPLIFY says it welcomes candidates of all gender identities, and that gender-affirming surgery does not by itself close the door if the ovaries still function and are accessible. The same page says candidates who have taken or are taking testosterone are not eligible. Elevate Baby welcomes nonbinary applicants and says eligibility may depend on hormone therapy or gender-affirming procedures that affect fertility. No checked page requires the donor to have been assigned female at birth. A line that says "women" or "female" does not say how a trans man or nonbinary person would be treated.
Does the FDA "gay men" rule apply to egg donors?
The 2007 item about men who have had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years does not apply to an egg donor as her own history. A separate, gender-neutral item does. It covers people who have had sex in the preceding 12 months with a person in that group, or with a person who has HIV. That is the rule that reaches egg donors.
Did FDA's 2023 change apply to eggs?
No. The May 12, 2023 guidance covers blood and blood products. Eggs and sperm were not in it. A January 2025 draft would change HCT/P screening, including reproductive tissue, and FDA said that draft was not for implementation. No final version was found at this check.
Why do programs say "women"?
Four of the 17 use "women" or "female" as the eligibility line: Fairfax EggBank, Shady Grove Fertility, The World Egg and Sperm Bank, and CCRM. That is ordinary sex or gender wording. It is not a published policy on trans donors, and it is not evidence that trans men or nonbinary people are excluded.
What should I ask a program?
Ask in writing whether they accept lesbian, bisexual, queer, trans, or nonbinary donors. Ask whether past or current testosterone use is disqualifying. Ask which FDA sexual-history questions you will be asked. Most of the pages checked here do not answer those questions.
Sources · checked Oct 2026
- SIMPLIFY Egg Bank, LGBTQ egg donors (blog) — SIMPLIFY welcomes all sexualities and gender identities, does not disqualify on that basis, excludes testosterone use, and may still consider donors after gender-affirming surgery if the ovaries function and are accessible.Full-page read, October 2026. "SIMPLIFY welcomes egg donor candidates of all sexualities and gender identities." "These requirements include having healthy and functioning ovaries, but do not disqualify candidates based on gender identity or sexuality." "Unfortunately, candidates that have taken or are currently taking testosterone are not eligible to donate with SIMPLIFY." "may still be able to donate if their ovaries still function and are accessible."
- Elevate Baby, Can LGBTQ individuals donate eggs? (blog) — Elevate Baby says sexual orientation does not affect the ability to donate, welcomes gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary applicants who meet medical and legal criteria, and gives no fixed rule for hormone therapy or gender-affirming procedures.Full-page read, October 2026. "Your sexual orientation does not impact your ability to donate eggs. Whether you identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, or nonbinary, you are welcome to apply so long as you meet the medical and legal criteria." "eligibility may depend on whether you have undergone hormone therapy or gender-affirming procedures that affect fertility."
- Fairfax EggBank, egg donor process — Fairfax EggBank eligibility line uses "Women between the ages of 19 to 30" and also requires healthy reproductive function and both ovaries. Nothing on orientation or gender identity.Snippet, October 2026. Ovaries line also at https://www.fairfaxeggbank.com/egg-donor-requirements/. "Women between the ages of 19 to 30 are eligible to apply to be an egg donor." "Healthy reproductive function and both ovaries."
- Shady Grove Fertility, become an egg donor — Shady Grove states the donor line as women ages 21 to 30 with good overall health.Snippet, October 2026. "Women between the ages of 21 to 30 with good overall health"
- The World Egg and Sperm Bank, egg donors — The World Egg and Sperm Bank states the donor line as women between ages 18-31.Snippet, October 2026. "Women between ages 18-31"
- CCRM Fertility, donor prescreen — CCRM's prescreen acknowledgment says the applicant must be a female between 21 and 33.Snippet, October 2026. Also https://www.ccrmivf.com/egg-donor-program/. "As an egg donor, I understand that the primary requirements for application are that I be a female between the age of 21- 33, a non-smoker, non-drug user…"
- Donor Egg Bank USA, FAQs — Donor Egg Bank USA publishes age, health, and work-status lines and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished. "Between the ages of 21-28," "In good physical and mental health," "Legally allowed to work in the U.S."
- MyEggBank, egg donor requirements blog — MyEggBank publishes an age line. LGBTQ content found was patient-facing only.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished as a donor rule. "Being between the ages of 21 to 31."
- Egg Donor America, become an egg donor — Egg Donor America publishes age and "Have both ovaries," and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished. "Between the ages of 21 and 31"; "Have both ovaries"
- ConceiveAbilities, egg donor requirements — ConceiveAbilities requirements list citizenship and age. "Young women" appears as intro description, not as a stated rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished as a rule. "United States citizen or resident," "Between 21-28 years of age." "We are looking for young women who are healthy, open and ready to commit…"
- Tiny Treasures, donor requirements — Tiny Treasures publishes an age and health line and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished. "Egg Donors must be between the ages of 21 and 32 and in good health."
- Growing Generations, egg donor requirements — Growing Generations publishes age, both ovaries, and regular periods, and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Full-page read, October 2026. Unpublished. "Between the ages of 21-29 years old." "Have both ovaries." "Have regular menstrual periods."
- Circle Surrogacy, most-asked questions blog — Circle's donor FAQ URL redirects. A donor blog uses "young women" as a description. No orientation or gender-identity donor rule was verified.Partial, October 2026. Unpublished. "we've answered the most-asked questions young women have about egg donation"
- Cofertility, disqualifications for egg donation — Cofertility's checked donor page does not set an orientation or gender-identity donor rule. The nondiscrimination line is on the intended-parent FAQ.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished for donors. The report places this line on the intended-parent FAQ, not on this URL: "regardless of your gender identity, sexual orientation… we do not discriminate"
- Johns Hopkins Fertility Center, egg donor — Johns Hopkins uses "healthy person" and publishes no orientation or gender-identity donor rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished, neutral wording. "If you are a healthy person between the ages of 21 and 31, you may be able to help by anonymously donating eggs…"
- Houston Fertility Solutions, become a donor — Houston Fertility Solutions publishes an age and health line and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished. "Egg Donors must be between the ages of 21 and 32 and in good health."
- Invia Fertility, expectations and requirements — Invia Fertility publishes an age line and no orientation or gender-identity rule.Snippet, October 2026. Unpublished. "You must be between 21 and 29 years of age."
- Research report, October 2026, UCSF note — UCSF was not counted. The only page found was patient-facing and says donors are between 21 and 33. No URL for that page was in the research report.No URL in the source report. Quote recorded there: "Our donors are between the ages of 21 and 33."
- Research report, October 2026, Cryos note — Cryos Denmark's requirements page must not be used for the US program. Cryos International US was not verified.No US Cryos URL in the source report. Denmark page was found and excluded.
- FDA, Eligibility Determination for Donors of HCT/Ps (August 2007), section IV.E — FDA 21 CFR Part 1271 subpart C sets donor-eligibility requirements for HCT/P donors, which include oocyte donors. The 2007 guidance item on men who have sex with men does not apply to an egg donor as her own history. Item 5, partner history in the preceding 12 months, does.No URL in the October 2026 research report. Quotes as given there: "Men who have had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years…" and "Persons who have had sex in the preceding 12 months with any person described in criteria 1 through 4 of this section or with any person who has HIV infection…" Also: "These requirements apply to all donors of cells or tissue used in HCT/Ps, except as provided under § 1271.90."
- FDA blood guidance, Federal Register May 12, 2023, docket FDA-2015-D-1211; January 2025 HCT/P draft; AABB 12 January 2026 agenda note — The May 12, 2023 blood guidance does not cover eggs or sperm. The January 2025 HCT/P draft was not for implementation, and no final was found.No URL in the source report. Blood quote: "we recommend eliminating the screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with MSM." Drafts: "not for implementation and are for comment purposes only."
- FDA warning letter, Central Coast Multispecialty Medical Group, January 29, 2026 — A January 29, 2026 FDA warning letter shows the 2007 partner-history screen was still being applied. One letter is not a policy statement.No URL in the source report. The letter faulted a form that "fails to screen for persons who have had sex in the preceding 12 months with any person who has had sex with a man who has had sex with another man in the preceding 5 years."
- ASRM gamete donation guidance; ASRM Ethics Committee access opinion (2021); transgender and nonbinary opinion, Fertil Steril 2021;115:874-878; Fertil Steril 2026 LGBTQ+ committee opinion — ASRM gamete-donation guidance summarizes FDA donor-eligibility rules and sets no orientation or gender-identity criterion beyond FDA. Known donation may use ineligible tissue with labeling and consent. The 2021 ethics opinions cover patients, not donors. The 2026 STI passage concerns sperm sources, not egg donors.No URL in the source report. "FDA donor eligibility determination focuses on infectious risk." Known donation: "ineligible tissue may be used but with appropriate labeling and consent." Patient opinion is not a donor rule. 2026 passage "concerns sperm sources, not egg donors."