The argument for paying egg donors

A top fertility doctor in Singapore has come out against recommendations this morning that the city state not compensate women who donate their eggs to research, beyond out-of-pocket expenses.

Dr Suresh Nair, medical director at Parkway Fertility Centre, said a woman is taking a risk by donating, so deserves to be paid.

"She's subjecting herself to some procedure that's potentially dangerous. How are you going to value that? For a start, it should be those young, healthy women who are not really involved in fertility treatment. For the time being, don't include the fertility couples as yet because they are already burdened."

Singapore's Bioethics Advisory Committee released a report this morning saying women donating eggs for use in stem cell research should only be paid for expenses incurred in making the donation -- such as for transportation or lost wages.

Committee chair Lim Pin said to do any more could turn egg donating into a business.

"We want to make sure that the amount that is reimbursed is not so large that it becomes an inducement."

The donated eggs are used in stem cell research.

No money for egg donation

Warning that egg donating could become a "business opportunity," Singapore's Bioethics Advisory Committee says women donating eggs for stem cell research should only be compensated for out-of-pocket expenses.

And even then, as little as possible.

BAC chairman Lim Pin said the committee did not want human egg donation to become a "business opportunity," where women made money by trading their eggs.

However, he said, expenses such as for travel and lost wages should be compensated.

“A guiding principle for the BAC is one of fairness, in that an altruistic donor should not be expected to suffer any financial loss from her donation, in the form of out-of-pocket expenses, loss of time and earnings, and cost of treatment for any medical complications that may arise. Reimbursement to ensure that she does not suffer financial loss from having contributed to the greater good of society is consistent with altruistic giving to research.”

The committee also called on the Ministry of Health to introduce regulation, even legislation, specifying how human eggs for research are handled. At the moment, the ministry only regulates hospitals and clinics that provide assisted reproduction services.

As well, the committee said, women should be allowed to withdraw their consent for their eggs to be used in research at any point, even after the eggs have been taken from their bodies.

Human eggs can be used in creating stem cells that have the ability to become any other type of cell in the body.