Educational Media Reviews Online

The fertility industry is a multi-billion dollar industry—an industry that offers a young woman up to one hundred thousand dollars for their precious reproductive material. Who is this admirable woman who sells her eggs to give another woman a child? One woman’s dream is being fulfilled at the expense of another woman’s health and possibly her life. She is nameless, and faceless, a college educated woman in need of cash is used and forgotten.

Go to any prestigious college campus in the United States and you will see the advertisement for a 21 – 29 year old attractive elite donor, SAT scores and high IQ required. Most of these women are enrolled in a Ph.D or MD program and are desperate for money. They have been made to feel like they are the chosen one and they are doing something good. These young women are smart, so they research the risk involved in egg donation and find nothing. They find nothing because there is no research pertaining to the risk involved with egg donation. The truth is we have never studied the risk of donation—women are not treated and monitored for the long term. There are no numbers regarding how many complications or problems arise, nothing appears in the medical literature or government records. This industry is not regulated by anyone. These intelligent women did the research, and found nothing. Why didn’t they have a consultation with their personal physicians? They trusted the industry and the research; there is no history or tracking. They are not informed of the risk. Does the money cloud their ability to consent freely? These women are the supply for someone else’s demand.,P. The truth is there are short term and long term risk involved in egg donation. The short term risks include hormone injections, anesthesia, ovulation hyperstimulation syndrome, fluid imbalances, stroke, and bleeding from hitting a major organ. Long term risks include cancer, problems getting pregnant and death. This is reckless endangerment of young woman.

There are steps the egg donor must undergo:

1. Take injections to stop the ovulation function, this controls the timing and matching of the eggs.
2. Super ovulation (multiple eggs). A women normally produces 1 -2 eggs per month, this method allows for approximately 50 eggs to be produced (egg harvest).
3. Take injections to release the eggs from the ovaries.
4. Eggs are surgically removed; under anesthesia by suction.

The fertility industry is a 6.5 billion dollar a year enterprise in the United States with little regulations and no oversite. The industry has a 70 percent failure record and the donor assumes all the risks. This industry advertises on Facebook specifically targeting 21 – 29 year olds in Ivy league schools with the catchphrase, “Elite Donors for $100,000.” This is offensive and a violation of their privacy.

Several women have shared their stories regarding egg donation. The stories are not glamorous, their stories are painful to hear, and their stories are tragic and devastating. Forcing your body to ovulate multiple times is brutal. One woman is not alive to tell her story, her mother told her story. She donated 3 times, earned a Ph.D and MD, wrote classical music and performed in the opera. She expired 5 years after her last egg donation from cancer. One woman, had a stroke, brain damage, was paralyzed and can never have a child of her own. Another woman developed cancer twice; her ovaries were removed and she has several other medical complications. How many more have complications? Will we ever know?

New York State became the first state to offer compensation to women who donate their eggs for research, including stem cell research. Are we becoming a nation of ovary factories? We demand hormone free food and water but pump women with hormones. Who will rise and speak for the reproductive health, body and life for these women.

The doctors performing these procedures have not shared any information to the women regarding the health risk. What can be done to make every woman considering donating her eggs understands the risk involved to her body. Regulations should be in place for potential donors to be cleared by their primary care physician after having complete blood work, a physical examination and complete medical history. Before signing any papers to donate their eggs, every woman should watch this documentary. It will change your view and help you understand the need for regulations and oversight.

Awards

• Best Documentary – California Independent Film Festival 2011