I've just been reading an interesting piece in the New York Times which compares the complicated process people face when adopting a child with the ease with which donor sperm and eggs can be purchased in the States. During adoption, the interests of the child are always paramount, as they should be, but with donor conception, the interests of the prospective parents may seem to lead the way.
Columnist Ross Douthat discusses a study of donor conceived adults which showed that many of them felt some unease about their conception, often because money had changed hands. Unlike the UK, donation in the States is not only paid but can also be anonymous. Although getting rid of anonymity in the UK was initially seen to have reduced the donor pool and created longer waits for donor treatment, it is likely that in the long run it will reduce the potential problems of donor conception making it possible to trace a donor parent.
You can read the article at www.nytimes.com
Showing posts with label payment for egg donation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label payment for egg donation. Show all posts
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
Payment for egg donors
There's an interesting piece on the BBC News website about payment for egg donors which is being discussed by the HFEA. It's an issue that always causes controversy, raising fears about creating a market for the sale of body parts.
Donating eggs is a time-consuming and invasive business, a million miles away from donating sperm. There are shortages of altruistic donors, and many women now donate as part of egg-sharing schemes, where they get free or cheap fertility treatment in exchange for some of their eggs. This could be considered to be unethical, as sometimes these women are making the choice to donate eggs because it is the only way for them to ever have a child.
No one would want to see a situation where women are donating eggs purely to make money, but at the same time it is only fair that those who go through the process of egg donation are justly recompensed. We must also remember that eggs are not like other body parts as they are produced regularly.
Can payment ever be right? Will it encourage women who wouldn't ever choose to donate eggs voluntarily to do so for money? Is there an effective way of monitoring the system? What do you think?
Donating eggs is a time-consuming and invasive business, a million miles away from donating sperm. There are shortages of altruistic donors, and many women now donate as part of egg-sharing schemes, where they get free or cheap fertility treatment in exchange for some of their eggs. This could be considered to be unethical, as sometimes these women are making the choice to donate eggs because it is the only way for them to ever have a child.
No one would want to see a situation where women are donating eggs purely to make money, but at the same time it is only fair that those who go through the process of egg donation are justly recompensed. We must also remember that eggs are not like other body parts as they are produced regularly.
Can payment ever be right? Will it encourage women who wouldn't ever choose to donate eggs voluntarily to do so for money? Is there an effective way of monitoring the system? What do you think?
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