The ovaries contain all the eggs a female will use in their reproductive years. This stockpile of eggs is called the ovarian reserve, and the eggs are called oocytes. At birth the oocytes are about one to two million. By the time a female reaches puberty, her oocytes are about 300,000. Each menstrual cycle, about 11 to 20 oocytes are released at a time and they begin developing to maturity. One of these usually becomes dominant, maturing faster than the rest and is released into the fallopian tube for fertilization when it is fully matured. The remaining oocytes stop developing and are discarded by the body. This process repeats itself each cycle and with time, because the number of oocytes is limited, the ovarian reserve gradually becomes diminished. After a certain age i.e. 35 years, a woman will find it increasingly challenging to build the family naturally with each passing year. At a point her ovarian reserve will be depleted and she will no longer have a menstrual cycle. This phase of her life is known as menopause. Even so, there are many concerns about the long-term side effects of egg donation. So let us talk about the impact of egg donation in the long term.
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