Individuals Seek Medical Aid Everyday in Order

¶ … individuals seek medical aid everyday in order to conceive a child. "Generally, worldwide it is estimated that one in seven couples have problems conceiving, with the incidence similar in most countries independent of the level of the country's development" (National Institute fo Health and Clinical Excellence, 2010). Through new technology, conceiving a child is now possible for individuals who were never able to previously. One such method is through egg donation and bioengineering. This process is for a woman who is unable to contribute a viable egg in order to produce a zygote. Egg donation has become an increasingly popular method of conception. This method should be completely illegal for several reasons.

Egg donation companies supply these eggs through donors. Donors go through a rigorous screening process. This process can include everything from disclosing medical records, meetings with psychologists, medical testing, and signing an informed consent form. Once a donor passes all examinations and signs all necessary paperwork, they are given cycles of hormones to increase egg production. This requires several visits to the clinic where the donation and reception will take place, in order to receive the hormone injections. Once the cycle of hormone cycle is complete, the eggs are retrieved through an out-patient surgery. The eggs extracted from the donor are typically given to a recipient, frozen for later use, discarded, or used in scientific research.

This method of conception has helped many previously infertile individuals, or couples, to conceive a child. A donor is usually matched to a recipient by eye color, hair color, and skin tone, but it is completely up to the recipient to choose who their donor will be. "An egg donor may be motivated by a number of reasons to provide eggs. Some egg donors may be altruistic and feel that participation in the reproductive process provides a benefit for another person, sometimes a person they know or are related to. A survey of 80 American women showed that 30% were motivated by altruism alone" (Kara N. Maxwell, 2008). It appears this is a great situation for both parties involved. A donor can donate for altruistic reasons, or monetary, either way there seems to be a benefit. The recipient, who was previously unable to have a child, is now able to. Both the donor and recipient can walk away with what they want.

A donor, by law, is not able to be paid for their eggs. Based on a Denver company's website, "Our agency compensates egg donors anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000, which can be dependent upon a number of considerations including location, number of previous donations and ethnic diversity" (ConceiveAbilities, 2010). This compensation is provided by the recipient for the donor's time, any travel expense, and inconvenience. Many arguments have been made as to whether this is ethical. This means that only the wealthy infertile couples can even consider this method of conception, and it appears as if the donor is being paid quite a bit of money for their eggs. "Higher fees may unduly influence a woman's decision and blind her to potential risks," says Rebecca Dresser, a member of the ASRM ethics committee and a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis. For this reason, egg donation should be outlawed.

Although many donation clinics call the egg retrieval process "minimally invasive," blogs and articles written by donors mention how unpleasant it is. According to lovestrong.com, "The drugs that cause your body to produce more eggs cause ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in about 10% of women. In OHSS, the ovaries create too much fluid, which can leak into the abdominal cavity and cause health problems. In some women, the symptoms are mild and may include bloating, abdominal discomfort and some weight gain. Rarely, women have severe symptoms, including severe pain, shortness of breath and decreased urination. Very rarely, OHSS can cause blood clots, kidney problems and excessive fluid build-up in the chest or abdomen. Mild cases of OHSS usually resolve on their own when you begin your menstrual period, but moderate to severe cases may require medical treatment" (What Are The Dangers Of Egg Donation?, 2009). Many donors are not completely aware of all of the health risks related to egg donation before they agree to donate. Because of the decrease health literacy surrounding this area of medicine, and due to the hospitalization rate of 1 in every 100 donors, it should not be legal to participate in. The health risks are very high when involved in the donation process.