You may have seen the ads in college newspapers: Wanted  one egg donor of superior intelligence, blond hair, blue eyes, trim, musically and artistically inclined, with no family history of disease.  

Egg donation has given many people the gift of parenthood. But as the number of babies born from this reproductive technology climbs, so too, does the compensation given for premium eggs.

In the United States, egg donation has increased five to tenfold in the past few years, said Dr. Joel Brasch, reproductive endocrinologist and medical director of Advanced Reproductive Health Centers in Chicago. Ten years ago his patients had to wait three to four months for a donor egg; now he sees three or four donors a month.

Donors typically are paid $3,000 to $5,000 per donation. But there’s such a shortage of Middle Eastern donors that women are getting upwards of $20,000 to $30,000, said Brasch. There are also shortages in Filipino, Asian, Hispanic and eastern Indian donors as well as Jewish donors. Cultural and religious barriers may play a role.

Media reports highlight celebrities and famous people getting paid more for their eggs. Some couples have placed print or Internet ads seeking eggs from athletes or models at prices in the $50,000-plus range.

Nancy Block, director of the Center for Egg Options in Northbrook, which helps match anonymous egg donors with intended parents, pays all donors $5,000. We are hesitant to work with donors who demand high figures, she said. Reputable donor agencies won’t pay a donor in excess of $5,000 to $8,000 in Illinois. 

Compensation also depends on the cost of living where the donor lives, Block said. Rates are higher in California and New York, where couples may pay $10,000, $20,000, $30,000 for a specific type of ethnicity or looks or intelligence.

Unfortunately, in California there are many people in the television industry doing this and they don’t care what it costs, said Block. But there’s no guarantee the eggs will fertilize or that the offspring will take on the characteristics of the donor.

Brasch finds the concept of premium-priced eggs alarming. It’s not what the technology was meant for, he said. It tends to distract the public focus from the average American infertile couple who suffers so much.

Since May 2005, the Food and Drug Administration regulates egg donor screening, recruitment and lab practices. Donors are screened for infectious and inherited diseases and high-risk sexual behavior. Egg centers may also require psychological testing.

The FDA does not regulate donor compensation, nor does the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The ASRM does have recommendations for donor compensation, according to Eleanor Nicoll, ASRM spokeswoman.

According to the ASRM, payments to donors should be fair and not so great that they entice donors to discount risks. Compensation should not vary according to the number or quality of eggs retrieved or the donor’s ethnic or other personal characteristics.

The recipient has other expenses as well. Agency fees are around $5,000, in addition to the donor’s medical expenses, said Heather Ross, an attorney with Ross & Zuckerman, LLP, Northbrook, which specializes in assisted reproductive law.

Because it’s against the law to sell or purchase human eggs, the donor is instead compensated for her time, inconvenience and discomfort. Donors receive fertility shots over eight days to produce more eggs. Every other morning, she has blood drawn and a pelvic ultrasound. Then, while the donor is under anesthesia, the physician extracts eggs from the ovary, which are evaluated under a microscope.

There are no laws in Illinois right now on egg donation, but there are laws that govern good tissue practices, said Ross. Good tissue practice deals with the testing and screening of egg donors. 

Susan (NAME CHANGED), of northwest Indiana, gave birth to a baby boy using donated eggs in May 2005. She and her husband wanted to make sure the donor was not only healthy, but had been able to conceive in the past. They also wanted someone who matched their physical description.

We are blessed that this technology gave us the chance to experience pregnancy and parenthood, said Susan. To this stranger I’ve never met, I’m forever indebted. She doesn’t know how much she changed our lives.
 

By Terri Yablonsky Stat

Special to the Tribune