Donating Eggs

I wasn't sure if this should go here or in the health forums, but I figured mibbians could discuss the topic and whatnot so it seemed more fitting in the science thread. If it's a duplicate please delete.

Okay so I've been reading a lot about how women can donate their eggs so other women who cannot get pregnant on their own can use them to get pregnant. Has anyone ever heard of it, thought about doing it, or has done it themselves? What do you think about donating eggs?

I'm seriously considering doing this. In my area (Texas, United States) you have to be at least 20 years old and they look at your family medical history and your own. You also have to undergo a psychological evaluation so they can determine if you're stable enough to do something like this. Before they take your eggs, they put you on birth control and right before the procedure (from what I remember) they give you some hormones to make you more fertile so your ovaries release more eggs. They retrieve the eggs through a small needle while you're under anesthesia. I think they take about 10-15 eggs.

Depending on your traits, location, age, and medical history, you can get 3,000-10,000 dollars every time you donate. First time donators tend to not get very much, women who have donated before and their eggs have led to successful pregnancies will get more cash. You are not expected to pay for any of the medical bills during this process and do not need health insurance.

When I turn 20 (I'm currently 19), I would really love to do this for some extra cash. I honestly do not want kids, and I think this is a very cool thing to do because you are helping other women fulfill their dreams of being mothers.

Opinions?

I think the practice of selling human body parts is deeply immoral, but I can understand why somebody would do it if they need the money (and that's part of the reason I find the practice despicable). Asking women who can't have children to pay $10,000+ to be able to become mothers is not that cool, it's very cruel.

The concept is fine. I wouldn't personally do it merely because it involves needles (which is why I am reluctant to donate blood. I can barely cope with giving a blood sample).

Like kafka. though, the whole payment thing is a bit...I'm not keen on that bit. If payment for donating eggs is fine then surely on that scale, getting money for your kidneys would be legal.

I can understand why the incentive is there but is there such an incentive for male ejaculate (although it is far easier to collect I suppose...) or blood? I know that in the UK, you don't get payment for blood donation and I'd argue there is a higher importance for blood donations than ovum donations.

@kafka

I'm not sure I understand, do you think that the paying part is wrong, or the exchange of "human body parts"?

The women who will be getting the eggs do not pay the donor, nor do they pay for the procedure to get the eggs. The facility you go to pays for that. The future mother pays for the procedure where they fertilize the egg and put it inside of her.

I personally don't see how it is cruel when everyone involved is consenting and knows what they're getting into. No one is forced to do any of this. Although I can see how you would think it is immoral, I just don't see how it would be cruel because it helps a lot of people who cannot have kids on their own.

I'm actually ok with the idea because it gives someone a chance at a child when they might never be able to have one.

ella vator.:

The women who will be getting the eggs do not pay the donor, nor do they pay for the procedure to get the eggs. The facility you go to pays for that. The future mother pays for the procedure where they fertilize the egg and put it inside of her.

And who gives the facility enormous amounts of money to give to the women who donate eggs?

Xsoteria:

@kafka

I'm not sure I understand, do you think that the paying part is wrong, or the exchange of "human body parts"?

Of course I don't think exchanging human body parts is wrong, things like blood transfusions and organ transplants save so many lives. What I think is wrong and cruel is forcing people to pay huge amounts of money in order to have children or continue to live and at the same time claiming you're doing it because you want to help somebody else. If you wanted to help somebody else you wouldn't ask them to help you with a couple thousand dollars first.

The average price a hospital will pay for an egg starts around $50. If you turn out to be a reliable donor, the price will go up. The $10,000 is for the actual artificial insemination proceedure which this thread is not truly about, but may as well include. The donor of the egg used in this proceedure will not get any percentage of that $10,000 the hospital charges; they will only get the $50 to $200 (the average rate of egg sale for reliable donors: in my state anyways, I can't imagine prices go up in places where this is more popular and wherethe economy is better) that the hospital has paid them down.

So please do not blame the donators for the outrageous rate of the proceedure they contribute to as they do not get any of the $10,000 it takes to perform it. Blame the doctors, and he'll even then: they gotta be paid somehow and the techniques theyre using require certain /tools/ which are highly expensive and also which the hospital probably hasn't paid off yet. It's all supply and demand as everyother monetary exchange in the world.

Spencer James Smith:

The average price a hospital will pay for an egg starts around $50. If you turn out to be a reliable donor, the price will go up. The $10,000 is for the actual artificial insemination proceedure which this thread is not truly about, but may as well include. The donor of the egg used in this proceedure will not get any percentage of that $10,000 the hospital charges; they will only get the $50 to $200 (the average rate of egg sale for reliable donors: in my state anyways, I can't imagine prices go up in places where this is more popular and wherethe economy is better) that the hospital has paid them down.

So please do not blame the donators for the outrageous rate of the proceedure they contribute to as they do not get any of the $10,000 it takes to perform it. Blame the doctors, and he'll even then: they gotta be paid somehow and the techniques theyre using require certain /tools/ which are highly expensive and also which the hospital probably hasn't paid off yet. It's all supply and demand as everyother monetary exchange in the world.

I'm not blaming the donors for the high price of artificial insemination procedures, the original poster said that donors are paid thousands of dollars for their donations:

ella vator.:

Depending on your traits, location, age, and medical history, you can get 3,000-10,000 dollars every time you donate.

I would consider doing this even if the money wasn't offered. My brother and sister-in-law haven't been able to get pregnant and I feel absolutely horrible for them, even though they have adopted a daughter. I would do it just for the knowledge that I was able to help someone become a parent that really wanted to and not able to become one.

It's all very well if a person needs some extra cash and they don't actually want children of their own, but the way I see it, aren't they still the biological mother of the baby? In which case, I imagine, the child will be looking for her eventually?

I don't think much of this, to be honest. I haven't got a fully formed opinion on. I think it's lovely that people want to give the gift of a child to others. I think that a lot of thought needs to go into it though, considering, like Alex; oxytocin. said, that the child may go looking for the donating mother and also, that the child's physical features wont bare any of the other mother.

How much the donor gets paid varies by location. The website I was looking at for a fertility clinic in Houston stated a donor can get anywhere between 2,000-5,000 in my area, but some areas offer 7,000-10,000, depending on location and how popular the fertility clinic is. I do not have any links right now because I am on an iPhone but I can post links once I get the chance to.

Like another poster said previously, the cost of medical equipment and procedures is very high. IVF is extremely expensive because the process and equipment used is expensive. Some health insurance plans will cover part of the cost of this process for parents who wish to give IVF a try, so they aren't paying the entire thing themselves, it just depends on what insurance plan you have. Some are better than others.

Sperm donors do not get paid much because it's very easy to get the sperm.

As for any children who want to look for the biological mother, it's the same as adoption, really. An adopted kid looks nothing like the parents who adopted them, and they may or may not wish to meet their biological parents. The only difference is unlike adoption, the mother will actually carry the child in her for 9 months and give birth to the child.

^^
Like I said, in places with ether economies the price of eggs goes up. In the shit hole little town I live in in Ohio, with little demand for eggs (we're actually very very populated with most families having 3 kids of their own despite the economy), the top price is around $50 to start then they go up based on reliability.

And, as for the price of eggs; look at the price for adopting! My aunt adopted two Mongolian children with fees of $25,000 per child. She would of actually saved money and stress and time with this proceedure.

In reality, it all depends on how you look at it. Though, theoretically, this is the same thing as adoption, just a bit cheaper.

I find it a very interesting thing to do, but even if I wanted to do it badly enough, my family's health history is terrible. Plus, we might have mental problems that might be inheritable.

I also think that children have the right to know who their biological (DNA-wise) parents are and have a chance to be raised by them, but I am not going to force this on anyone. It's just an opinion. Obviously, many, many people don't have the opportunity to know. Personally, I wouldn't feel right giving my eggs to someone else, but that is just me. The difference for me between this and adoption is that adopted children have no choice not to know, at least before they decide whether to look for them or not. (a little tired, btw)

ella vator.:

As for any children who want to look for the biological mother, it's the same as adoption, really. An adopted kid looks nothing like the parents who adopted them, and they may or may not wish to meet their biological parents. The only difference is unlike adoption, the mother will actually carry the child in her for 9 months and give birth to the child.

I don't think it's exactly akin to adoption though, particularly on the mother's behalf. There would be less psychological attachment to that child, if you're a donor, due to the absence of a nine month gestation period. Also, I think, as a donor, that you have a responsibility to be prepared for that child.

Alex; oxytocin.:

It's all very well if a person needs some extra cash and they don't actually want children of their own, but the way I see it, aren't they still the biological mother of the baby? In which case, I imagine, the child will be looking for her eventually?

In Australia it is mandatory, at some places, that a donor becomes acquainted with the recipient so ensure that this is considered. All people involved in the procedure have to be considered, otherwise it's unethical.

Personally, I've been wanting to donate my eggs. However, to go through IVF Australia you have to be at least 21 years old, and they're incredibly reluctant to receive donations from people who have not had children already, or attend without the donor recipient.

It's not quick cash - the process takes just over a month, once authorised. There's a lot of factors that have to be considered when you're donating eggs:

- You have to take hormonal enhancements. This helps with ovulation, the maturation and number of eggs produced.
- You have to consider whether you're willing to go under anaesthetic for the procedure, and have regular vaginal ultrasounds and blood tests.
- You have to wait three weeks for recipient pregnancy confirmation. This does not include the processing period for the money.
- You have to be medically assessed by a psychologist, to be counselled and 1 - 3 appointments.
- You have to have a full medically examination. This includes chromosome analysis - results from this usually take about 5 days - 2 weeks - for genetic disorders, such as Huntington's.
- The child will be informed at 18 that you were the donor, if their parents have not enlightened them about it.

If you're willing to perserve through that coupled with thorough interrogation by a specialist, then you deserve to be a donor.

I'm unsure on whether or not I wish to actually birth a child, but either way, I won't use all 2 million or whatever eggs. I've thought about donating them to someone who would get use from them.

The Master.:

I can understand why the incentive is there but is there such an incentive for male ejaculate (although it is far easier to collect I suppose...) or blood? I know that in the UK, you don't get payment for blood donation and I'd argue there is a higher importance for blood donations than ovum donations.

The incentive isn't as high, but men do get paid for their specimen. It's not as high because, obviously, men create more sperm for their entire lives and eggs are a commodity.

I don't see the issue with it. I think the system needs some overhaul (what American system doesn't), but I don't see any issue with donating your eggs and getting paid for it. You do have to do minor surgery or something, don't you? I think you should get paid for that...

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On a personal note, I would but I don't think there's a lot of demand for eggs like mine.

for dru's sins.:

The incentive isn't as high, but men do get paid for their specimen. It's not as high because, obviously, men create more sperm for their entire lives and eggs are a commodity.

I don't see the issue with it. I think the system needs some overhaul (what American system doesn't), but I don't see any issue with donating your eggs and getting paid for it. You do have to do minor surgery or something, don't you? I think you should get paid for that...

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On a personal note, I would but I don't think there's a lot of demand for eggs like mine.

@ for dru's sins. There's just something about the concept that squicks me out a little. I just have a gut feeling telling me there is something wrong with that. I don't know.

I think if you're undertaking the risk, you should get some sort of compensation, is all. Medical complications arise everyday.