Fertility doctors have assured donors for years that egg donation will not ‘give you cancer’ or even increase your risk. Of course, the vast majority of egg donors do not have a family history of premenopausal breast cancer. But we must ask, what other risks will surface in the future?
Read MoreI’ve wanted to write this article for such a long time.
Egg donation tends to be a sensitive subject for many different reasons. I’m going to share my story here in all aspects – the good, the bad, and the things I wish I knew before I started.
Read MoreIt’s been said that it’s easier to open a human egg brokerage firm than it is to open a food truck business in the United States. The result? Clinics and agencies run themselves as they please. Unfortunately, this can leave egg donors feeling more like a product than a real patient.
Read MoreSkyping with the Australian clinic felt contradictory. I felt extremely confused during the interview because my interviewer kept referring to my egg donation as “altruistic.” To me, “altruism” means giving a gift, in this case it would be my eggs, but I wasn’t exactly altruistic because I would be getting paid.
Read MoreCommunicating with my doctor was a challenge; even though he really did try his best, he didn’t understand everything I was saying. I had never donated before and I had a lot of questions. But because of the language barrier, I had a really hard time getting answers. In retrospect, it would be a lot safer for egg donors if there were a translator who could make sure that pertinent medical information is being communicated, both ways.
Read MoreKylee* is an American egg donor who flew to Canada four times to donate her eggs. On her fourth trip, she was unexpectedly held up in customs, accused of illegal egg selling.
Read MoreAs a donor you are helping someone increase their chance to have a baby, but shouldn’t involve a sacrifice of your fertility. As such, it is important to remember you have human rights, too.
Read MoreI will never forget the day my case manager called me last year and told me: “The family wants to let you know that they had a beautiful baby girl in November and are over the moon. She is absolutely beautiful.” I cried. Unknowingly, this family pushed me to be the best that I could be.
Read MoreI needed 5 extensive surgeries over a very short time period. I was extremely sick, and every doctor I saw was exasperated by how aggressive my case was. I went from being 100% healthy, to having one of the worst cases of endometriosis that even some of the top specialists had ever seen – and that all started within 6 months of donating my eggs.
Read MoreI felt like I had to sell myself. Saying the things although true are what people want to hear. It’s worse than a blind date. Specifically the motivation question — Why did you choose to be a donor? — I was specifically told not to say “financial incentive.” Which I think is most donors motivation. I feel like when you are looking for a life partner you are looking at the person as a whole, flaws and all, and I feel like this selection process should be treated the same.
Read MoreElizabeth was what is called a “premier” egg donor: she was paid $15,000 per cycle. Due to the subsequent health issues she experienced, she was able to successfully appeal all taxes on her compensation. In this interview, I ask her about what it’s like being a high-demand donor, what her body has gone through, and for advice she has for egg donors.
Read MoreThe US Tax Court has reached a decision in the groundbreaking tax case in which an egg donor, Nichelle Perez, argued that her egg donation compensation should be excluded her gross income and exempted from taxes owed. The outcome? Perez lost. Sierra Falter, attorney and founding member of We Are Egg Donors, weighs in on what this new ruling means for egg donors.
Read MoreSonja O’Hara is a New York-based writer and actress who wrote and starred in Ovum, a narrative feature film based on her experience as a three-time egg donor. 70 percent of her film was financed with her eggs — Ovum is meant to spur a conversation about eugenics, reproduction, and the unseen side of the market for elite and top shelf eggs.
[Heads up: This interview contains NSFW images. Film stills courtesy of Ovum film.]
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