The increase in inquiries correlates with tough economic times, von Halle said. “I know that’s why they call us, for that financial remuneration, she said. “They don’t like to openly admit that, but some people are saying that.”
“I think there is a spike more for financial reasons,” said Mahshid Albrecht, manager of Donor Services at the Reproductive Science Center. “But is that the only reason? Probably not.”
An egg donor is typically compensated between $5,000 and $10,000. Experts say that while most women donate out of desire to help infertile couples, the financial allure is real.
“It’s important to understand that if a young woman walks into a clinic and says she wants to be an egg donor, the clinic doesn’t just sit down and say, ‘Sure,’ and hand them money,” said Dr. Mark Hornstein, president of the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology. “There are national guidelines. It’s a tightly orchestrated, stringent process.”
And it’s not an easy process.
Before a single egg is cultivated, a donor must undergo a battery of psychological and physical exams. That vetting process can last from thirty to forty days, and 90 percent of women are eliminated before a single egg is culled.
Once a donor is selected, she is injected with powerful hormones for up to three weeks to promote egg production. There are also blood tests and up to ten visits to the fertility center for ultrasound monitoring.
“It is such a long, agonizing process,” Michelle said. “It’s six to eight weeks of poking and probing and blood work.”
