The UK fertility regulator has warned that compensation for egg donors will rise for the first time in more than a decade, but people should not donate just for the money.

It is illegal to pay someone for their eggs in the UK, but compensation is given to cover expenses. On October 1 this will rise from £750 to £986, partly reflecting the rise in prices.

The regulator said there is currently a shortage of egg donors in the UK, particularly those from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Yasmin Sharman, from London, He was first inspired to donate when he was 18. “I realized there was a lack of donors who were Black and that upset me … and that made me want to do it again,” he said.

“I consider myself a non-binary lesbian, so I already had this idea in my mind that I might have to take different paths to have kids,” she explained.

MX Sharman, now 26, has donated eggs three times and shares her egg donation journey on TikTok. She said many comments focused on the compensation not being considered enough.

“If you raise it too much there’s a risk that people will just do it for the money, making lower-income people more at risk,” he said.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said compensation in England, Wales and NI would rise for the first time since 2011, partly due to inflation.

In Scotland, egg donors are not compensated.

Claire Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at the HFEA, said: “The amount will be just under £1,000, which the HFEA believes strikes the right balance between compensating people for their time and acknowledging that egg donation in the UK is an altruistic act.”

Ms Ettinghausen said there should be a “clear health warning” against donating money alone, as there are risks involved.

“It’s not risk-free. You go through the first stage of IVF treatment. It can be uncomfortable,” he said.

Donors are also told that any children born from their eggs may try to contact them once they turn 18.

Charlotte Holmes, 35, who lives in London, also shares her egg donor experience on social media.

She is currently going through the donation process for a second time for a couple who contacted her online.

“I donate blood. I’ve donated my hair. That’s a big deal for me, especially since I don’t want children,” Ms Holmes said.

“I first donated last year. I donated to the London Egg Bank and this year when a couple contacted me on Instagram, I donated to them.”

Ms Holmes told the BBC she would not receive any extra money from the couple – she would just receive her current £750 compensation from the clinic.

According to HFEA figures, egg donations have remained broadly the same since compensation was increased in 2011, but demand for eggs has increased.

Ms Holmes believes people should not donate for financial purposes alone, but she hopes increased compensation will help address the current shortage of donors.

“Will the extra £250 make a big difference? Probably not,” he said.

She added: “If it opens the door for other women to go ‘oh £1,000’, is that a good thing? I think it is because we are desperate for egg donors.”

That sentiment is shared by Belle Brittle, 24, from Cambridgeshire, who donated her eggs last year.

“It may motivate people to donate their eggs, even if there is an economic reason behind it, but if it succeeds in encouraging people to at least think about donation, that is important,” he said.

“This is an egg donation process, not an egg selling market.”

Some clinics hope that increased compensation will help combat the shortage of egg donors.

Dr Thanos Papathanasiou, chief executive and medical director of Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic, said: “Increasing the compensation for egg donors in the UK to £986 is appropriate, as it better reflects the time, effort and medical risks involved in donation and helps address the current shortage of donors.”

“The donation process still requires genuine personal commitment, so increasing compensation would not diminish the altruistic motivation behind egg donation, but would rather recognize the goodwill of the donor.”

All egg donors are counselled by the clinic and must undergo several medical tests before donating.

In most cases you must be over 18 and under 36 to donate.

Approved donors may donate up to 10 times, but if multiple eggs are used by the same family, a donation may result in more than 10 children.

“Really understand that this is not something that you can do quickly and then be over with,” said Yasmin Sharman.

“At 18, there’s a chance that someone will reach out and contact you.”