Becoming an Egg Donor

An article in the Boston Globe from June 2006 states that there is no government or industry group that tracks how many times a woman has been an egg donor, although The American Society for Reproductive Medicine has now set guidelines recommending no more than six donations in a lifetime. Scientists don't know if repeated donations have long-term effects on a woman's fertility.

The United States is one of few industrialized countries that allows egg donors to be compensated.

The United States is one of very few industrialized countries that allows egg donors to be compensated. Since few women are willing to go through the process for free, finding acceptable eggs can be very difficult in other countries. Today, many European and Canadian couples travel to the U.S. for the sole reason of obtaining eggs for in vitro fertilization. The phenomenon has become so widespread that fertility clinics advertise for these "reproduction tourists."

This increased demand for eggs is also driving up the rate of donor compensation in the U.S. Many are concerned that paying donors, particularly very large amounts, causes young women desperate for money to agree to a procedure without fully understanding the risks involved. Many donors feel that they were not fully informed and have later regretted their decision to donate.

Now 35 years old, Derek says that her decision to become a multiple donor was fuelled by the fact that she was young and felt invincible. "I was a bit of a feminist, and donating eggs made me feel empowered - I was spreading my genes," she says. "I would have benefited from more discussion about the problems [associated with multiple donations]. I overdid it."

For more information:

New York State Department of Health - Becoming an Egg Donor
http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/infertility/eggdonor.htm

The Good Egg: An Ovum Donor's Journey is a documentary about the personal experience of director Erin Ploss-Campoamoror, who donated eggs at age 24:
http://goodegg.tv/

Confessions of a Serial Egg Donor is a book written by Julia Derek about her experience as a twelve-time egg donor:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974907901