Selling your eggs

Former Member

2 female students, one from Bristol Uni and one from Aston Uni have sold their eggs to an American company for approx £4000 each. Apparently they are both good looking, intelligent, blah blah blah. Don't think I would get 10p for my eggs. And don't think I would do it anyway, some things are not worth doing for money. The thought of a baby being alive which is genetically mine is scary.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2510393.stm

Former Member

I'm willing to pay more than 10p for the chance to fertilise your eggs Pus..

Seriously though, I wish I could get £4k for a spoonful of my man juice. Unfortunately there's a plentiful supply of donors for that so the price is lower. Can't say I blame thewome for cashing in though. Might help them pay their "top-up" fees

Former Member

Sadly, receiving egg and sperm donations are the only way some can ever have a child that is partially their own.
However I dont think that people should be making that sort of money on others desperation.
I couldnt do it, for money(my consience wouldnt allow it) or for free, unless it were family then I might seriously consider it, as I think I would feel responsible still for the child, for assisting in its creation.

Former Member

its illegal to be paid more than costs for donating eggs, its a lengthy procedure involving hormone injections and a lot of time and is apparently quite painful at times, you need to be celibate throughout the whole procedure and then they harvest the eggs in an operation under general anaesthetic. thats why it costs so much more than a test-tube full of gentleman gel.
Its not something i fancy doing at all.

Former Member

In the uni newspaper a couple years back, I saw the following ad. (paraphrased, of course)

Wanted, blonde haired college student, 5'7"-10" 1200 SAT or higher (uni entrance exam, that's about 80th percentile I think), athletic, no family history of heritable illness, etc.

Compensation: $100,000!

The sad thign is that once you start selling these things like commodities, people start doing stuff like this. Although I guess that they are yours, you can do what you want with them....

I think it kind of cheapens life when you can bid on "more deisrable traits". Before I had never really had an opinion about this, after reading that ad I was kind of disgusted with people in general.

Former Member

i should have said its illegal in BRITAIN to sell your eggs, and you can only get paid costs, but in America its not illegal.

Former Member

freaky ! anyone want to buy my belly button fluff ?

Former Member

I can understand doing it for altruistic reasons but it should be tightly controlled else it will lead to the commercialisation of childbirth which is just sick..........

Former Member

Re: Selling your eggs

Originally posted by PussyKatty
2 female students, one from Bristol Uni and one from Aston Uni have sold their eggs to an American company for approx £4000 each. Apparently they are both good looking, intelligent, blah blah blah. Don't think I would get 10p for my eggs. And don't think I would do it anyway, some things are not worth doing for money. The thought of a baby being alive which is genetically mine is scary.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2510393.stm

Hmmmmm ... not a lot of scrambled egg for your money. I think I'll stick to hens eggs.

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
I can understand doing it for altruistic reasons but it should be tightly controlled else it will lead to the commercialisation of childbirth which is just sick..........

IVF Clinics.

Sperm donation.

The Portland Hospital.

Just three examples where this has already happenned

Former Member

What I meant to say was in the sense that a couple will say 'we want this kind of child, how can I get it to be this way?'

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
What I meant to say was in the sense that a couple will say 'we want this kind of child, how can I get it to be this way?'

Looks like I'm picking on you today. I'm not.

Honest

But this already happens, we already screen people to avoid ethnic mixes, we try to make sure that blonde parents get the right sperm/eggs to get blonde children. And recently a Judge gave parents the right to choose the sex of a child, especially for cases were there are genetic disorders in a specific gender.

It's only a small step to what we fear, designer babies...

Former Member

Do you think the examples you have mentioned are a good thing?

I don't think that suh measures necessitate a move to designer babies but we need to be so careful if we really want to stop it happening.....

My main worry would be that it would be a sole preserve of the rich which would then lead to a dominant genetic elite ( sounds frightening:crazyeyes )......

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
Do you think the examples you have mentioned are a good thing?

No I don't, but then I'm not faced with a serious genetic disorder in my family. Neither do I hold with abortion, from a personal perspective, but I can see why it is necessary.

I don't think that suh measures necessitate a move to designer babies but we need to be so careful if we really want to stop it happening.....

My main worry would be that it would be a sole preserve of the rich which would then lead to a dominant genetic elite ( sounds frightening:crazyeyes )......

I'm not so worried about that. The aristocracy is a prime example of genetic inbreeding already.

My concern is the longterm effects of genetic engineering generally, not that we will have a genetic elite but that we will dramaticaly affect humanity. Some things are too precious to mess around with for vanity's sake.

But then I don't hold with genetically engineered humans anyway...

Former Member

But is it something that has to be done absolutely or not at all.

If we are worried about the effects of genetic engineering on humans are we going to say to those with diseases etc that we aren't going to help them?

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
If we are worried about the effects of genetic engineering on humans are we going to say to those with diseases etc that we aren't going to help them?

Yep, well not in this way.

We worry about genetically engineered foodstuffs, but seem to accept genetic engineering for our children. That worries me.

It's also worth considering that we are telling disabled people that they are in some way defective, and that we want to eradicate "their kind" in the future. Sounds like something the nazis wanted to do...

Former Member

That is true in a philosophical sense but practically I would still imagine that most disable people would want to be 'cured', wouldn't they?

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
That is true in a philosophical sense but practically I would still imagine that most disable people would want to be 'cured', wouldn't they?

Funnily enough no. But then it depends on your perspective, would you like to be told that something about you was not only wrong, but that we would genetically alter people to stop it happening again?

I am me, this is what I am and my personality reflects that. I find it really offensive that we are suggesting that there is something wrong with someone, because of what they are.

Chances are that genetics could prevent my eyesight problems. But, personally, I wouldn't want that. Its part of me, I have hearing problems, again its part of what makes me me.

I don't doubt that there are people would would prefer to be "normal", but there is no definition of that.

Former Member

Actually, those born with a disability dont. My two housemates are deaf, and many of their friends are, and I dont think they would change their deafness. Its what makes them them.

Its also why two lesbians who were deaf wanted a deaf baby, to bring it up in deaf culture. Taking it too far I know, but it shows that the disabled often wouldnt change it.

Those who become disabled during life are different though, like those who are considering having a face transplant.

Former Member

But if you have developed a disease later in life?

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
But if you have developed a disease later in life?

Then genetic engineering is a little late?

As someone else has said, being a paraplegic as a result of an accident isn't going to be solved through genetics. No matter how hard Christopher Reaves tries...

Former Member

I don't know enough about the science of it but aren't there genetic illnesses that appear/get worse later in life and that could be prevented by genetic engineering?

Surely you can't say a painful and dehabilitating illness is aprt of a persons character?

Former Member

Originally posted by Toadborg
I don't know enough about the science of it but aren't there genetic illnesses that appear/get worse later in life and that could be prevented by genetic engineering?

Yes there are, things like Parkinson's for example. Or Alzheimers.

But then the most debilitating condition is the one we all suffer from - mortality

Former Member

I want to sell my eggs. Not for profit, because I don't think that is right.

How much you have to pay for IVF depends on the area you live in I think, and people have to pay so much for that anyway that I don't think that they should have to buy the eggs as well. If I was in realy hardship then I would consider going to America etc to sell them, but I want to 'sell' them here. I have no problems about there being a child which is genetically mine but not with me, I will offer the people who I provide the eggs for contact, and so if when the child reaches 18 and wants to find me then that would be OK with me.

I would have children first, 2 or 3 think, and then sell my eggs. IF I have as many children as I desire, then what would be the harm in selling something that I have plenty of to help people who cannot have children?

I cannot imagine how hard it would be knowing that I couldn't have children, and if I could help people like that then that would be great.

Don't hit me for this, its not part of a debate or anything, just what I'd like to do.

Anybody know if there are any side effects to the hormone treatments? ie growing more toes or something?

Former Member

Commendable altruistic sentiments, you mean to give the eggs away then, not sell them?