Egg Donation – Paola E. & Araceli R.

           In our debate we will be discussing the possibilities in paying egg donors and why this should be allowed, though currently it’s already happening. Nowadays there is payment being made to egg donors from the intended parents and the prices vary depending on clinics and who is paying. Though the payment can be a good way to pay an egg donor for their time and donation, there are many ways this could be controlled where the egg donors are still being paid but that the system does not get out of hand.

          There are many risk factors to donating eggs, such as developing ovarian hyper-stimulation, which results in swollen ovaries, abdominal pains and the retention of fluid until the next menstrual period and many more. This is what the donor puts themselves through and they are choosing to use their time on this. They are aware of all of this as they donate their eggs, and go through the process. There are other reasons behind donating eggs, aside from the payment. There are limits to everything and payment for a woman’s eggs should have one. Not just anyone is able to donate eggs, you have to meet certain criteria, but it wouldn’t do any harm to pay a woman who is donating her eggs, when in a scenario the woman may want to help other women, not want children of her own, or has other plans in mind. There are many reasons and these could be some of them. Currently there are already women who get paid for donating their eggs and for taking their time in this. The fact that women are thought to do it for quick money is not the reason that they have problems afterwards, they are aware of the medical procedure and what can and will happen, you cannot go into something medical without acknowledging what might happen, the risks. Caling it desperation for money may be a little exaggerated considering the procedure they go through and the time they use.

If donors do not get paid for their eggs, there will be a decrease in donations, this is not to say everything is dependent on money but how can someone who wants children have them if no one is willing to donate without a bit of payment. Currently in most places the compensation for the donors time, commitment and services is $8,000 for a completed egg donation cycle, if your cycle is canceled due to no fault of the donor, compensation is $1,000. We should consider the people that need and want eggs, there are many reasons a woman might want to use donated eggs, possible potential to transmit a genetic disease to the child, poor quality eggs of the mother, premature ovarian failure in which menopause has begun earlier than usual, diminished ovarian reserve or a history of pregnancy failure. And according to a study conducted by the American Society for reproductive Medicine, of 100 women who were surveyed, 68 stated that helping somebody was their number one reason for donating their eggs. Our goal is to have payment for egg donors to continue to be approved.