The faltering economy and tight credit have forced many U.S. companies to lay off staff. Families furiously job hunt and it does not take long to see consequences pile up, leading to a situation where any extra money is more than welcome.
Cornered without a job and young kids to look after, many women are turning to unorthodox means of overcoming their economic problems. Donating their eggs to fertility clinics!
An egg (ova) is the beginning of life and women donate these eggs to fertility clinics where they are used for purposes of assisted reproduction, which involves in vitro fertilization.
Says 29-year-old Susan, “I have no other go right now, with one small kid, rent to pay and rising gas prices, what I’m earning is not enough. I need more money just to survive.”
This survival instinct makes women look for alternative income streams, even extreme ones such as egg donation.
Susan is just one among thousands of women earning money this way. Fertility clinics report an enormous increase in egg donations. They are receiving an increased number of calls inquiring about egg donation when compared to last year.
According to a doctor at a fertility clinic, “I know why they call us, for that financial remuneration. They don’t like to openly admit that, but some people are saying that.”
The monetary compensation for an egg donor is good; although, not every fertility clinic pays well. A donor can earn anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000 and in rare cases, a few donors even reported to have earned up to $20,000.
Yes, there are women who donate to help other women but the financial lure is getting more obvious with the slump in the US economy.
Screening tests will be done including a basic physical exam. Most fertility clinics also require a visit with a counselor, because donating the eggs can also prove to be traumatic and needs counseling. A genetic questionnaire will have to be filled up and if everything is found to be okay, the next step is to produce fertile and healthy eggs for donation. The donor will have to undergo a powerful hormonal therapy to stimulate the ovaries and produce multiple eggs. Over a period of a few weeks, the doctor will continue to monitor the ovaries with vaginal ultrasounds and blood tests. Finally, the eggs will be removed through a non-surgical procedure.
Experts say that women who donate eggs for monetary gains are sacrificing a whole lot more than just their eggs. Egg donation carries a great deal of risk, in the form of bleeding from the egg or ova recovery procedure, bloating, abdominal pain, weight gain, and reaction to the hormones. The most dangerous problems are liver failure and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, where ovaries become enlarged and this is a life-threatening condition.
Although, the long-term effects of egg donation are not very clear to doctors, they say there is some evidence of early menopause and increased risk of ovarian cancer.
If you think it is only the fertility clinics who buy eggs, there is the controversial plan of buying eggs for research. These eggs are used to bolster the limited supplies by fertility clinics to scientists who use these eggs to create cloned embryos for stem cells harvesting.
This proposal has outraged many groups of people who say that these hormonal treatments are very risky for women. They believe that medical ethics are being questioned and that the risks involved in egg donation are too many to be allowed for the sake of research.
Research also shows that many women, when asked the reasons for selling their eggs, have reported of doing so to pay off credit card bills.
It is pitiable that women have to subject themselves to such risks for some extra income. It shows the burden they are faced with, bringing up their children and supporting their families. Their safety takes a back seat.
With U.S. economy getting tight, it pushes these women to put themselves last. But can any amount of monetary compensation justify the risk and probability of life-long suffering? There are several debates on payments for such donations, with some states considering non-payment as a way of restricting women from taking these risks for monetary compensation.
Unfortunately America has to go through a lot more of these shockers for the next couple of years if not a whole decade.
Risk of early menopause in addition to yet unknown medical issues must be weighed carefully by each women considering egg donation, the monetary compensation is small compared to what she may physically and mentally face in a lifetime.
I think that the article hit the nail on the head in summation – this phenomenon speaks more the conditions women are dealing with (fighting poverty and debt, child rearing, etc) and how it always falls to women to put their best interests last in times of hardship. In fact, it’s expected. Feeding our children, and keeping a roof over the family’s collective head is more important than our own lives.
I find it interesting that when men donate sperm, so much the better, but women donating eggs is in this author’s opinion “pitiable.” Medical risks aside, evidence for which is slim at best, women should not be discouraged from donating their eggs whatever the reason. Perhaps the author should spend their time speaking to the consumerist mindset that drives families into financial straights than attacking a legitimate route to child bearing for many infertile couples without any quantitative justification.
I thought about selling my eggs b/c I don’t want children and I needed money,although the money sounds good but when you read the conditions that right there changed my mind. My life is more important than to go through those problems for the rest of my life and that money will be gone within know time,so I’m glad I read up on this before jumping into anything.
Tim, it is a known fact that egg donation is a more involved and risky process when compared to sperm donation.
How can anything with the possibility of causing ovarian cancer or early menopause be legitimate? Isn’t this reason enough for women to consider donating eggs a risk?
It is a risk, a big one. But when your not making enough to keep the water, gas, and electric all on at once, “Mommy doesn’t have the money right now.” just doesnt cut it. An outsider looking in may judge harshly, but who are we to not take risk and sacrafice for our children. It is but a primal instinct to put thier life before ours and to provide the necessities for our young. Those who disagree should not reproduce.
my husband just lost his job and we just had a third child on labor day. We sold everything possible already except for the computer that i’m on. we need it to look for jobs ad to post resumes. Selling my eggs seems like the most logical thing to do right now. I have to do whatever is best for my kids. Now i just have to find a place to take my eggs.
will I am going through tough times right now and well I have two kids I got lucky with 2 different sex so I am looking to have oone more in the feature but not soon so I want to sell my eggs so I can bye a new car and help my kids with schooling and bills please anyone out there that would help me see my eggs I’m young and beautiful
It is such a blessing to help couples that are less fortunate of having a normal pregnancy. I have experienced having fibroid tumors, which they were removed. So therefore I want to bless other families with the chance to become a parent like I have become. We were created to multiply and sometimes due to certain circumstances; doesn’t enable us to do so. God Bless!
i would like to sell some of my eggs because i over ovalate to the extreme and it gets so painful when i get eggs
Idk why i ran across this but i think Its good that the risks of donating or selling ovaries have been informed. I hate that so many women feel Thats the only way out from financial problems. Im even more shocked that mothers would take such a risk to their health to feel as though theyre doing right or putting their children first. LADIES, PLEASE DONT FORGET THAT YOUR HEALTH I? VERY IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PUTTING YOUR CHILDREN FIRST. If anything happened to your health or life, who will pay the bills then? Who will take çare of your children? Who can replace a mother? May God bless each of you and help you through the hard times and if some decide to donate may God protect your health. After all there are many that wish they could be mothers too and if not for those taking the risk to donate that hope cant become a reality for those couples. Just wish these couples would opt to adopt those that are already al?ve and wishing for a family as much as they want öne too
Best wishes to everyone.
I would like to sell my eggs so if anyone is interested I am 35,a non smoker,have never smoked nor have I ever taken any drugs & I am in perfect health,I have four children to support & I’m trying to buy us a house,we have found one that we really love and it’s only $10,000,my children are so happy that we may get our own home if you are interested email me at [email protected] or call me at 859-380-7756 I need this asap for my kids please,thank you,Heather.
I want to become a egg donor