Should donors get paid???

[Nataly 38]

I was on the tube last night (metro, for you non-Londoners!) and saw an add for IVF.. It was calling for egg donors & it made me think of this couple I met a few years ago who were considering IVF.. They told me that in the UK it's illegal to pay for donor eggs (although most costs associated with donating eggs are reimbursed).

I still wonder to this day how on earth people find donors if it's illegal to compensate the egg-giver? I think it must only be very close friends or family of people who are infertile.. And doesn't that pose it's own ethical dilemmas??

Then again, if you pay people it must obviously attract rather unsuitable candidates as well..

Hmm.. Any thoughts?

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
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[theonlyski 3]

I dont believe you can call it 'Donating' if you are paid for it. It would be called selling.

I donate blood, whenever I am allowed to (which isnt very often these days) and I dont expect payment of any sort.

If I had to pay out of pocket for something relating to the donation, I suppose it would be the place thats recieving my donation to compensate me. Most of them are non profit anyways.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
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[futuredivot 0]

Assuming no consumer safety issues, if it's a marketable item, you should be allowed to market it.
I believe that eggs can be sold in the USA but having never had eggs to sell, I haven't looked into it. But, if you know anyone paying top dollar for a kidney, let me know

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[Nataly 38]

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I donate blood, whenever I am allowed to (which isnt very often these days) and I dont expect payment of any sort.

I think it's much more involved than giving blood.. An egg donor has to go through hormone therapy, undergo several health tests & psychological screening.. From what I remember it takes several months and it's a similar "trauma" for the donor as it is for the recipient. Not to mention there are risks with the drugs they take.

I personally can't decide one way or the other. But I did really feel for that poor couple who were really struggling to get a donor.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[Cutaway68 4]

The term donor is part of donation, which in my opinion means 'to give'. So, if someone wants the donated items, then those items should be free. However, any costs associated in retrieving said items should be paid for by recipient.

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[Nataly 38]

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The term donor is part of donation, which in my opinion means 'to give'. So, if someone wants the donated items, then those items should be free. However, any costs associated in retrieving said items should be paid for by recipient.

OK, we're talking semantics here.. Whatever you call it, isn't really what I'm driving at.. It's more the ethical implications of paying the person whose eggs/kidneys/whatever will be extracted.

What I find difficult about the whole thing is that I can imagine it's pretty difficult to "recruit" people willing to give/donate. I mean, it's even difficult to find blood donors and that is pretty minor compared to what I'm discussing here.

I don't feel too strongly about it because it's never something that has touched me personally, but it just got me thinking.. I couldn't help but think that it must be a difficult position to be in if you're waiting to receive something so important. But however I look at one side of the argument for me there seems to be a good counter-argument in favour or against exactly the opposite side of the coin.

I was just curious what people thought about it one way or the other, without getting too picky about whether it still technically should be called "donating" if you get compensated..


Edit to say: I'm thinking maybe I should have added a third option "I can't decide".. That's where I fit in..

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[cocheese 0]

With all the sex threads lately, i first read this as
"Should boners get pied?"

[Shotgun 1]

I believe that egg "donors" in the U.S. are often paid. But I think it is considered being compensated for her time rather than paying for the eggs.

I don't have much of an opinion on it. If someone wants to "donate" their eggs then it's up to them whether they think they should be paid or not. It's not something I would likely do either way.

[Nataly 38]

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With all the sex threads lately, i first read this as
"Should boners get pied?"

Ding ding ding!!! I think we have a winning post!



Edit to say: OOps!! I called Cocheese's response a "thread" instead of a "post"!! Numpty!!

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[Broke 0]

In the states the going rate for egg donaters is about 5k per harvest. However they won't accept just anyone's genetic material.

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[warpedskydiver 0]

I quit donating blood because of the constant hounding of the local blood banks who all seemed to find out my telephone number.

Such it is for a person with good blood in the O Negative type.

[Nataly 38]

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In the states the going rate for egg donaters is about 5k per harvest. However they won't accept just anyone's genetic material.

Wow.. They must screen quite heavily?

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[theonlyski 3]

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I quit donating blood because of the constant hounding of the local blood banks who all seemed to find out my telephone number.

Such it is for a person with good blood in the O Negative type.

Dont give them your phone number. I suppose that it would be good for them to be able to contact you if your blood has something in it.

I donate to the armed forces banks. They don't hound us.

Unfortunatly, I havn't been able to for over 3 years.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[virgigirlie 0]

I've "donated" my eggs. And "donors" get paid rather well. It's only called donating because it's a prettier word than "selling." The same way people talk about donating plasma when they're really selling it.

Although there was a lot more than money involved in my decision to donate, I agree that people would probably have a harder time finding donors if no money were exchanged.

But maybe that's preferable for some because the people most likely to donate then are close to the person who needs the eggs. Maybe that'd be awkward at first, but at least you'd really know the donor.

The reason donors get paid is twofold: 1). Obviously, monetary compensation attracts people to be donors in the first place. 2). Donors go through a lot. Lots of medical/mental screening, doctor visits, hormones, injections, ultrasounds, contracts, maybe meeting the parents of your eggs, idiots around you questioning whether or not you know what's best for yourself, potential side effects from hormones, no drinking while on hormones, no sex for a short time after donating, etc.

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." ~Catherine Aird

[Nataly 38]

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The reason donors get paid is twofold: 1). Obviously, monetary compensation attracts people to be donors in the first place. 2). Donors go through a lot. Lots of medical/mental screening, doctor visits, hormones, injections, ultrasounds, contracts, maybe meeting the parents of your eggs, idiots around you questioning whether or not you know what's best for yourself, potential side effects from hormones, no drinking while on hormones, no sex for a short time after donating, etc.

Wow.. See that's quite interesting.. Out of curiosity (I'm sure you've been asked about a million times) what made you decide to "donate"?

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[hollypocket 0]

In USA egg donors get paid anywhere from 5-20,000 just depending on which organization they use.

\\>

[virgigirlie 0]

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Wow.. See that's quite interesting.. Out of curiosity (I'm sure you've been asked about a million times) what made you decide to "donate"?

I don't ever want kids but at the time was perfectly capable of having them. No part of being a parent appeals to me. I always found it sort of cosmically unfair that people exist who want nothing more than to have a child but can't and there I was just wasting eggs. This was sort of driven home (but not what made me decide to donate) when a friend (not who I donated to) was in a car accident when she was 9 months pregnant. She lost the baby and her uterus.

I never understood why people who couldn't get pregnant didn't just adopt, but I guess adoption can sometimes take longer and cost more than finding a donor.

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." ~Catherine Aird

[Nataly 38]

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Wow.. See that's quite interesting.. Out of curiosity (I'm sure you've been asked about a million times) what made you decide to "donate"?

I don't ever want kids but at the time was perfectly capable of having them. No part of being a parent appeals to me. I always found it sort of cosmically unfair that people exist who want nothing more than to have a child but can't and there I was just wasting eggs. This was sort of driven home (but not what made me decide to donate) when a friend (not who I donated to) was in a car accident when she was 9 months pregnant. She lost the baby and her uterus.

I never understood why people who couldn't get pregnant didn't just adopt, but I guess adoption can sometimes take longer and cost more than finding a donor.

Wow.. That's pretty incredible. If I may be rather indiscreet, did the money factor into your consideration at all?

Again - no obligation to answer.. What you did was amazing money or no money.. Good for you

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[JohnMitchell 14]

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I quit donating blood because of the constant hounding of the local blood banks who all seemed to find out my telephone number.

Such it is for a person with good blood in the O Negative type.

That's a shame you quit. I've gotten those calls too, and they complied when I asked them not to call anymore, but I still donate when I can.

My wife would be dead if it wasn't for blood donors. You really do save lives.

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

There's billboards around here requesting egg donors.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[Nataly 38]

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There's billboards around here requesting egg donors.

Seriously?? And they're looking on here??


Edit to say: ok now I'm feeling a bit silly.. You probably meant near where you live & not on DZ.com, right?

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[LuckyMcSwervy 0]

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There's billboards around here requesting egg donors.

Seriously?? And they're looking on here??

Haha! Now THAT would be a funny ad on HERE!!

ACtually, I mean "around here" as in where I live in New Jersey.

Always be kinder than you feel.

[Nataly 38]

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There's billboards around here requesting egg donors.

Seriously?? And they're looking on here??

Haha! Now THAT would be a funny ad on HERE!!

ACtually, I mean "around here" as in where I live in New Jersey.

Wanted: your eggs
Description: looking for a female sky-god with a very good arch and average fall-rate. Having the head-down gene is a bonus, but not necessary. Should adequately fill the front of her jump-suit, have a filthy mind and be able to hold her drink.
Will pay 2 jumps tickets (negotiable).
Please call xx with your applications.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[virgigirlie 0]

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If I may be rather indiscreet, did the money factor into your consideration at all?

Again - no obligation to answer.. What you did was amazing money or no money.. Good for you

To be perfectly honest, I don't know. I started thinking about doing it well before I knew how much I'd get paid or even that I'd get paid. Of course, the money was awesome (it funded my first summer of skydiving). I think that once I realized everything that was involved (including missing a little work for some doctor visits and to go out of state to have the eggs removed), money became a small factor. This is probably especially true because I didn't have any sort of personal commitment to the couple that I was donating to. I was given a ton of information about them but never met them. I would've done it for a lot less money than I got.

Edited to add: I still think calling it donating is just a nicety. People donate blood and bone marrow, we sell our eggs and sperm and plasma. While the motivation should be the same, the real truth is that it's not donating if you get paid.

"If you can't be a good example, then you'll just have to be a horrible warning." ~Catherine Aird

[rehmwa 2]

It's the individual's eggs/sperm/kidney/etc/etc/etc

If they want to sell it - good for them
If they want to donate it - good for them
If they want to have it removed and use it for fish bait - good for them

If we don't 'own' our own bodies, then we are really messed up

...
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