Like many couples, Ryan and Holly had always dreamed of having their own family. In 2004, after a year and a half of marriage, the two decided to go off birth control, looking forward to being a family.
Over the next twelve months, Holly took 12 pregnancy tests. Each one gave the same result—not pregnant.
Infertility is defined by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) as the inability to conceive within one year of trying – an issue that affects about 10 percent of women in their childbearing years. For many, fertility medications or assisted reproduction technologies like IVF help overcome the obstacle of infertility to create a family.
For some women, however, an insurmountable obstacle to their fertility reveals itself in the viability of their ovaries. The doctors at the Servy Massey Fertility Institute say that women entering their late 30s and early 40s experience a significant decline in the number of eggs in their ovaries and the quality of the eggs that are left.
For a very small percentage of infertile women, certain conditions can affect the ovaries, eggs, or uterus before aging ever does, and donor eggs are the only way for the couple to become pregnant.
In 2005, Holly had visited her OB/GYN, who found no obvious problems, but prescribed Clomid (an ovulation stimulation drug). Holly and Ryan dove into the world of infertility treatments, connecting with Dr. Edouard Servy at SMFI after learning Holly had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
Dr. Servy performed a few rounds of IUI (intrauterine insemination) with no results, so he scheduled Holly for a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy in October 2006. The tests revealed Holly’s ovaries were attached to her uterus and a previous gall bladder surgery had left scar tissue.
After one more failed IUI, they decided to try in vitro fertilization (IVF) in February 2007. “We were so nervous, but so excited. We believed that this was our answer. We were finally going to get pregnant,” Holly remembers. The cycle was canceled, though: Holly didn’t have enough viable follicles, meaning no retrievable eggs.
Ryan and Holly tried again in April, and this time enough follicles were present. Then they were dealt another bad blow. “When Dr. Servy went into my ovaries to retrieve the eggs, there weren’t any,” says Holly. “We learned that I had empty follicle syndrome.”
EFS is a rare-occurring condition where no eggs are retrieved during an IVF procedure, despite the ovaries having many potential follicles. Out of all women diagnosed with infertility, only a fraction will not be able to conceive using their own eggs. Having EFS meant Holly was part of that small percentage.
Facing another defeat, Dr. Servy recommended they take the summer off and start again in the fall. When they met again in August, the only options left to discuss were adoption or egg donation.
“The truth was, I wanted to be pregnant. I wanted to carry our baby,” Holly says. “So we chose to go with an anonymous donor.” They contacted an egg donation agency and began their search for “the one.” After sorting through numerous candidates, Holly and Ryan chose the donor they call “Angel.”
“She seemed to have the same dry humor as my husband. Her likes and dislikes were similar to ours and her medical history was great,” Holly says. “Then we opened the packet and saw her picture – she looked just like me!”
Angel had never donated before, so they weren’t sure if she would have a successful egg retrieval. They felt it was meant to be, so they took the chance.
Several embryos were created from the donated eggs and Ryan’s sperm and two were transferred to Holly’s womb. On March 13, 2008, Holly found out she was pregnant.
To read more go to http://bit.lyluktH3S
Showing posts with label egg donor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egg donor. Show all posts
Friday, 25 November 2011
Thursday, 1 September 2011
The incrediable meeting between an egg donor and the twins she helped conceive 20 years ago
egg donor who waited 19 years to see the twins she helped create has spoken of her joy at finally meeting them. And the woman who relied on the donated eggs to have children says 'she gave me my life back'. Sylvia Barr had a son from a sperm donor, and decided to donate her eggs in order to give someone else the same joy.
But when she read in the Daily Mail about Joan Isherwood, whose twins were born by an anonymous egg donation, Mrs Barr realised that she was the biological mother. And last night a BBC documentary showed the first meeting between Mrs Barr, Mrs Isherwood and their children.
The extraordinary story will contribute to the debate over the right of children born from donors to know the identity of their biological parents, a right enshrined in law since 2005.
Mrs Barr discovered that twins Katherine and Jonathan were her biological children after reading about Mrs Isherwood, and seeing her on TV discussing the death of her sons David, four, and Andrew, nine, killed in a terrible car crash which left her unable to conceive.
But she waited until the twins turned 18 before trying to contact them. Happily, they and their mother jumped at the chance to meet Mrs Barr 'I was very nervous, I didn't know what to expect,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'There is no etiquette or protocol for such a thing but Joan came straight towards me and gave me a hug.
'It was surreal: I was looking into the eyes of my genetic children.' Mrs Barr made the decision to donate her eggs soon after the birth of son Eliott, now 20. She says that it was a struggle not to contact Katherine and Jonathan after she had discovered their identity.
'If I had lived nearer I would probably have gone and sat at the end of their road just to see them,' she said. Mrs Isherwood, of Warrington in Cheshire, said that the new family link was unexpected but welcome. 'We were told it was a totally anonymous decision and as far as I was concerned that was the end of it,' she told BBC Breakfast.
'But I often used to wonder because not only did Sylvia help to create the twins but she actually gave me my life back because I felt as though my life had been destroyed.' She added: 'I was so grateful to be given the chance to create a second family that had I met Sylvia on the day she donated the eggs I would have been absolutely thrilled.'
Mrs Barr, of Brockham, Surrey, one of the UK's first anonymous egg donors, said she had discovered the identity of her recipient 'early on' and had been keen to get in contact with the family. She had done so after 'tactful and sensitive' help from the charity UK DonorLink, she said. The charity forwarded her letters to the Isherwoods, and she received an email from Jonathan just half an hour after the family heard from her.
She told the documentary, Donor Mum: The Children I've Never Met, that there had been a 'stark decrease' in the number of egg and sperm donors coming forward since the law giving anonymity to donors was lifted. 'I would say that it is evident from our experience that it can work and you can have a relationship and that people do not need to be threatened by it,' she said.
'There is a connection there, it is undeniable and I do not see anything wrong with it, everybody has their own opinion, but I feel it has been good, it has been a positive for all of us. 'It has got to have been positive for the twins to know that missing piece of their jigsaw.'
But when she read in the Daily Mail about Joan Isherwood, whose twins were born by an anonymous egg donation, Mrs Barr realised that she was the biological mother. And last night a BBC documentary showed the first meeting between Mrs Barr, Mrs Isherwood and their children.
The extraordinary story will contribute to the debate over the right of children born from donors to know the identity of their biological parents, a right enshrined in law since 2005.
Mrs Barr discovered that twins Katherine and Jonathan were her biological children after reading about Mrs Isherwood, and seeing her on TV discussing the death of her sons David, four, and Andrew, nine, killed in a terrible car crash which left her unable to conceive.
But she waited until the twins turned 18 before trying to contact them. Happily, they and their mother jumped at the chance to meet Mrs Barr 'I was very nervous, I didn't know what to expect,' she told the Daily Telegraph. 'There is no etiquette or protocol for such a thing but Joan came straight towards me and gave me a hug.
'It was surreal: I was looking into the eyes of my genetic children.' Mrs Barr made the decision to donate her eggs soon after the birth of son Eliott, now 20. She says that it was a struggle not to contact Katherine and Jonathan after she had discovered their identity.
'If I had lived nearer I would probably have gone and sat at the end of their road just to see them,' she said. Mrs Isherwood, of Warrington in Cheshire, said that the new family link was unexpected but welcome. 'We were told it was a totally anonymous decision and as far as I was concerned that was the end of it,' she told BBC Breakfast.
'But I often used to wonder because not only did Sylvia help to create the twins but she actually gave me my life back because I felt as though my life had been destroyed.' She added: 'I was so grateful to be given the chance to create a second family that had I met Sylvia on the day she donated the eggs I would have been absolutely thrilled.'
Mrs Barr, of Brockham, Surrey, one of the UK's first anonymous egg donors, said she had discovered the identity of her recipient 'early on' and had been keen to get in contact with the family. She had done so after 'tactful and sensitive' help from the charity UK DonorLink, she said. The charity forwarded her letters to the Isherwoods, and she received an email from Jonathan just half an hour after the family heard from her.
She told the documentary, Donor Mum: The Children I've Never Met, that there had been a 'stark decrease' in the number of egg and sperm donors coming forward since the law giving anonymity to donors was lifted. 'I would say that it is evident from our experience that it can work and you can have a relationship and that people do not need to be threatened by it,' she said.
'There is a connection there, it is undeniable and I do not see anything wrong with it, everybody has their own opinion, but I feel it has been good, it has been a positive for all of us. 'It has got to have been positive for the twins to know that missing piece of their jigsaw.'
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Donor mum: The children I've never met
Documentary about about egg donors and sperm donors making contact with their genetic children. 'Donor Mum' can be seen tomorrow: BBC1 10.35pm Tuesday 30th August.
In 1991, Sylvia was one of Britain's first anonymous egg donors. After donating as a one-off at the London Fertility Centre in Harley Street, all she asked to know was whether her donation had been successful. But she soon found out more than she had bargained for.
Sylvia was struck to discover an article in the Daily Mail six weeks after she donated, telling the story of a woman called Joan who had successfully become pregnant using en egg donor. The clinic, the dates and the fact that they were twins, coincided exactly with Sylvia's story. She felt sure that Joan was her recipient.
Joan had a tragic story - her two boys were killed in a car crash when they were on holiday in Crete, and in her mid- 40's she desperately wanted to start another family. When she successfully used an egg donor, there were countless press reports that covered her moving story of tragedy transformed into happiness, and even a BBC documentary in 1994 that showed the twins as toddlers.
Sylvia felt tormented by seeing children who were genetically hers, but were in fact strangers who she wasn't supposed to know. She was tempted to make contact, but terrified of upsetting a family who had already suffered so much. But once the twins turned 18 she felt it was right to take the bold step of contacting them.
Alongside Sylvia's story is the story of her son Eliott. Sylvia wanted a child when she reached 33 but hadn't found Mr Right, so she decided to go it alone. Eliott was conceived with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, and was born six months before Sylvia donated her eggs. Now 19, Eliott is ready to search for his sperm donor father.
For Eliott, born in 1991 when all donors were anonymous, his only hope is to search through DNA testing with the help of an organisation called UK Donorlink.
For Sylvia, contact with her recipient is at her fingertips. The film follows her turmoil as she decides how and when to make contact with Joan and the twins - and the extraordinary consequence of her decision.
Donors is a warm and moving film about a new kind of family emerging from the interventions of science. This film is also a snapshot of a future following the removal of donor anonymity in 2005, where more and more people will discover who their donors are after they turn 18.
In 1991, Sylvia was one of Britain's first anonymous egg donors. After donating as a one-off at the London Fertility Centre in Harley Street, all she asked to know was whether her donation had been successful. But she soon found out more than she had bargained for.
Sylvia was struck to discover an article in the Daily Mail six weeks after she donated, telling the story of a woman called Joan who had successfully become pregnant using en egg donor. The clinic, the dates and the fact that they were twins, coincided exactly with Sylvia's story. She felt sure that Joan was her recipient.
Joan had a tragic story - her two boys were killed in a car crash when they were on holiday in Crete, and in her mid- 40's she desperately wanted to start another family. When she successfully used an egg donor, there were countless press reports that covered her moving story of tragedy transformed into happiness, and even a BBC documentary in 1994 that showed the twins as toddlers.
Sylvia felt tormented by seeing children who were genetically hers, but were in fact strangers who she wasn't supposed to know. She was tempted to make contact, but terrified of upsetting a family who had already suffered so much. But once the twins turned 18 she felt it was right to take the bold step of contacting them.
Alongside Sylvia's story is the story of her son Eliott. Sylvia wanted a child when she reached 33 but hadn't found Mr Right, so she decided to go it alone. Eliott was conceived with the help of an anonymous sperm donor, and was born six months before Sylvia donated her eggs. Now 19, Eliott is ready to search for his sperm donor father.
For Eliott, born in 1991 when all donors were anonymous, his only hope is to search through DNA testing with the help of an organisation called UK Donorlink.
For Sylvia, contact with her recipient is at her fingertips. The film follows her turmoil as she decides how and when to make contact with Joan and the twins - and the extraordinary consequence of her decision.
Donors is a warm and moving film about a new kind of family emerging from the interventions of science. This film is also a snapshot of a future following the removal of donor anonymity in 2005, where more and more people will discover who their donors are after they turn 18.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Sperm and egg donor's views wanted
The National Gamete Donation Trust wants to listen to sperm and egg donors!
People think really carefully before they make that first enquiry about becoming an egg or sperm donor. It’s often prompted by the infertility of a close friend or family member. Most donors have thought about it on and off for several years before they contact a clinic.
There’s a big emotional investment, so the way the clinic behaves, especially with that first phone call or email, really matters, just as it matters to be treated decently when you get there.
The National Gamete Donation Trust works with donors on a daily basis and we get to hear lots of donor's stories. Too often the feedback is not good, and yet small changes in the way donors are treated could produce some big improvements.
To carry weight with the people who can make a difference, the Trust needs to prove that changes are necessary. We’re running a survey to gather evidence of what works and doesn’t work, and we need your help.
We want to hear both from donors who have completed their donation cycle and from people who enquired but did not donate. It’s important that donors are treated with respect; it’s also important to acknowledge the kindness that motivates enquirers.
We’ll use what donors tell us to make recommendations on how to treat donors through the whole process of donation, from that first phone call or email to sharing the outcome at the end of the cycle.
When you’ve known people with fertility problems finally achieve their much loved and hoped-for child, it is hard to understand why the people whose precious gift made that possible are sometimes treated so poorly. The minimum donors should receive for this unpaid act of generosity is to be treated well.
People think really carefully before they make that first enquiry about becoming an egg or sperm donor. It’s often prompted by the infertility of a close friend or family member. Most donors have thought about it on and off for several years before they contact a clinic.
There’s a big emotional investment, so the way the clinic behaves, especially with that first phone call or email, really matters, just as it matters to be treated decently when you get there.
The National Gamete Donation Trust works with donors on a daily basis and we get to hear lots of donor's stories. Too often the feedback is not good, and yet small changes in the way donors are treated could produce some big improvements.
To carry weight with the people who can make a difference, the Trust needs to prove that changes are necessary. We’re running a survey to gather evidence of what works and doesn’t work, and we need your help.
We want to hear both from donors who have completed their donation cycle and from people who enquired but did not donate. It’s important that donors are treated with respect; it’s also important to acknowledge the kindness that motivates enquirers.
We’ll use what donors tell us to make recommendations on how to treat donors through the whole process of donation, from that first phone call or email to sharing the outcome at the end of the cycle.
When you’ve known people with fertility problems finally achieve their much loved and hoped-for child, it is hard to understand why the people whose precious gift made that possible are sometimes treated so poorly. The minimum donors should receive for this unpaid act of generosity is to be treated well.
Saturday, 14 May 2011
Egg donor needed for woman who went through the menopause age 12
Woman who went through menopause aged 12 pleads for egg donor after seven-year struggle to have baby
A childless woman has made a desperate plea for egg donors after she went through the menopause - at the age of 12. Sarah Johnson, 27, experienced a change in her fertility decades earlier than usual after she was born with a rare medical condition meaning she cannot conceive naturally. The nursery nurse and her husband Vincent, 32, have tried for the last seven years to conceive without success.
They turned to egg donation as their last hope of having a baby but a national shortage of donors has hampered their attempts Last year, an anonymous woman came forward and donated eggs but at the 11th hour the process failed - and their hopes were dashed.
Sarah, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: 'It's devastating, heartbreaking and a complete rollercoaster. 'I've always been around children and have longed to be a mother for so long so it was really difficult when that dream was taken away.
'This is our last chance - we need more women to come forward to donate their eggs otherwise it won't work. We are so desperate for a baby of our own. ' It's not just about us as a couple - we want to help other people in the same position.'
The couple's fertility treatment, at St Mary's in Manchester, is being funded by the NHS. Sarah, who works at a nursery at Manchester Airport, and Vincent, an IT administrator, have one more attempt at egg donation on the NHS and if it fails say they would consider adoption.
Sarah said she was stunned when doctors told her she had a rare genetic disorder - Turner Mosaic Syndrome. The condition had caused her to have a premature menopause, meaning she would be unable to get pregnant naturally. She said: 'I can't explain how I felt - it was just the worst feeling but egg donation offers us hope. It didn't work out last time but we haven't lost hope and want to give it another go.'
To read more go to
A childless woman has made a desperate plea for egg donors after she went through the menopause - at the age of 12. Sarah Johnson, 27, experienced a change in her fertility decades earlier than usual after she was born with a rare medical condition meaning she cannot conceive naturally. The nursery nurse and her husband Vincent, 32, have tried for the last seven years to conceive without success.
They turned to egg donation as their last hope of having a baby but a national shortage of donors has hampered their attempts Last year, an anonymous woman came forward and donated eggs but at the 11th hour the process failed - and their hopes were dashed.
Sarah, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: 'It's devastating, heartbreaking and a complete rollercoaster. 'I've always been around children and have longed to be a mother for so long so it was really difficult when that dream was taken away.
'This is our last chance - we need more women to come forward to donate their eggs otherwise it won't work. We are so desperate for a baby of our own. ' It's not just about us as a couple - we want to help other people in the same position.'
The couple's fertility treatment, at St Mary's in Manchester, is being funded by the NHS. Sarah, who works at a nursery at Manchester Airport, and Vincent, an IT administrator, have one more attempt at egg donation on the NHS and if it fails say they would consider adoption.
Sarah said she was stunned when doctors told her she had a rare genetic disorder - Turner Mosaic Syndrome. The condition had caused her to have a premature menopause, meaning she would be unable to get pregnant naturally. She said: 'I can't explain how I felt - it was just the worst feeling but egg donation offers us hope. It didn't work out last time but we haven't lost hope and want to give it another go.'
To read more go to
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Egg donors abroad - exploitation and risks of donation
How desperate women around the world are risking their lives to feed a booming - and deeply disturbing - trade in donor eggs.
Somewhere in the world, Nastya Kanatova has three children. She doesn’t know if they’re boys or girls, she has no idea if they have her blue eyes and button nose — and she never will. Five years ago, the Russian was so poverty stricken that she cashed in on the one commodity she had left of any real value — her fertility.
Her husband had left her, she had two young children to feed and little income. In desperation she sold her eggs, on six occasions, receiving £200 a time from a local IVF clinic. The resulting embryos were implanted in British, German and Russian women.
‘I was told three babies were born,’ she says of the transaction. ‘At the time, I had no special feelings towards them — I was giving my genetic material, nothing else.
'I was happy to know that my eggs would help someone who was desperate to have the joy I get from my own children. But, as time went on, I found myself tormented by questions. ‘In dark moments, I feel a sense of loss about them, an emptiness. I have children I will never know. I ask myself: “Are these children OK? Are they happy? Will they ever feel deprived by not knowing fully about themselves, never knowing their biological mum?” Because, in the end it’s not just biology, is it? It’s human emotion, too. I gave them life, yet I feel consumed by guilt.’
Her emotions are not unusual. Around the world, demand for human eggs far outstrips supply — a situation that can lead to women such as Nastya being exploited and then left to deal with the mental and physical consequences. And with the global market booming, things are unlikely to change.
Kylie Minogue recently announced that egg donation was an option she and her partner, Spanish model Andres Velencoso, were now considering, fearing that treatment for breast cancer will have affected her ability to conceive naturally. And only last week the Mail revealed how Carole Hobson, a single 58-year-old former barrister, is expecting twins after becoming pregnant with eggs donated by a 24-year-old Indian woman.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ij9SWa
Somewhere in the world, Nastya Kanatova has three children. She doesn’t know if they’re boys or girls, she has no idea if they have her blue eyes and button nose — and she never will. Five years ago, the Russian was so poverty stricken that she cashed in on the one commodity she had left of any real value — her fertility.
Her husband had left her, she had two young children to feed and little income. In desperation she sold her eggs, on six occasions, receiving £200 a time from a local IVF clinic. The resulting embryos were implanted in British, German and Russian women.
‘I was told three babies were born,’ she says of the transaction. ‘At the time, I had no special feelings towards them — I was giving my genetic material, nothing else.
'I was happy to know that my eggs would help someone who was desperate to have the joy I get from my own children. But, as time went on, I found myself tormented by questions. ‘In dark moments, I feel a sense of loss about them, an emptiness. I have children I will never know. I ask myself: “Are these children OK? Are they happy? Will they ever feel deprived by not knowing fully about themselves, never knowing their biological mum?” Because, in the end it’s not just biology, is it? It’s human emotion, too. I gave them life, yet I feel consumed by guilt.’
Her emotions are not unusual. Around the world, demand for human eggs far outstrips supply — a situation that can lead to women such as Nastya being exploited and then left to deal with the mental and physical consequences. And with the global market booming, things are unlikely to change.
Kylie Minogue recently announced that egg donation was an option she and her partner, Spanish model Andres Velencoso, were now considering, fearing that treatment for breast cancer will have affected her ability to conceive naturally. And only last week the Mail revealed how Carole Hobson, a single 58-year-old former barrister, is expecting twins after becoming pregnant with eggs donated by a 24-year-old Indian woman.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/ij9SWa
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
I may have an egg donor baby, says Kylie Minogue
It was feared that her gruelling battle with breast cancer may have cost her the dream of becoming a mother.
But Kylie Minogue has revealed that she has ‘thought about’ egg donation as a way of starting a family.
The 42-year-old singer, who was diagnosed with the disease five years ago, told how she looks ‘wistfully’ at her baby nephew Ethan, the son of younger sister Dannii.
And talking about her own attempt to have a child, the singer reveals: ‘I’ve looked into various options.
‘I don’t know if I’m going to go down any of those roads yet, but I do need to look at what might be potential paths that lead to a family. They can do incredible things now, especially in America.’ Despite this, Miss Minogue said that if motherhood does not happen, she is ‘content’ with her life and finally feels that she is getting back to her pre-cancer best.
‘I don’t want to lose any more weight,’ she told Glamour magazine. I just need to get my fitness up. I do feel that then I’ll almost be back in my own body, which would be great.
‘I felt for such a long time that I was in a stranger’s body.’
To read more go to http://bit.ly/htM4vl
But Kylie Minogue has revealed that she has ‘thought about’ egg donation as a way of starting a family.
The 42-year-old singer, who was diagnosed with the disease five years ago, told how she looks ‘wistfully’ at her baby nephew Ethan, the son of younger sister Dannii.
And talking about her own attempt to have a child, the singer reveals: ‘I’ve looked into various options.
‘I don’t know if I’m going to go down any of those roads yet, but I do need to look at what might be potential paths that lead to a family. They can do incredible things now, especially in America.’ Despite this, Miss Minogue said that if motherhood does not happen, she is ‘content’ with her life and finally feels that she is getting back to her pre-cancer best.
‘I don’t want to lose any more weight,’ she told Glamour magazine. I just need to get my fitness up. I do feel that then I’ll almost be back in my own body, which would be great.
‘I felt for such a long time that I was in a stranger’s body.’
To read more go to http://bit.ly/htM4vl
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Couples forced to advertise for egg donors due to national shortage
Desperate women with fertility problems have been placing newspaper adverts in a bid to find egg donors due to a national shortage, it emerged today.
Egg donations have declined steadily in recent years, following a change in the law in 2005 that allows children to trace donor parents.
Now with waiting lists stretching to over a year for donor eggs, some women have been placing appeals in local newspapers in their efforts to conceive.
Diana Smith, 44, who has already had two failed pregnancies, placed an advertisement in her local Northamptonshire paper yesterday, detailing her plight.
'We have been trying for a family for a long time but now we need to find an egg donor,' it read. 'Could you be that special person to help our dreams of a family come true?'
Mrs Smith, who has struggled to stert a family after she had a fallopian tube removed, was faced with a year-long wait for eggs before she could begin IVF treatment at the CARE Fertility Clinic in Northampton.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dtm7n6
Egg donations have declined steadily in recent years, following a change in the law in 2005 that allows children to trace donor parents.
Now with waiting lists stretching to over a year for donor eggs, some women have been placing appeals in local newspapers in their efforts to conceive.
Diana Smith, 44, who has already had two failed pregnancies, placed an advertisement in her local Northamptonshire paper yesterday, detailing her plight.
'We have been trying for a family for a long time but now we need to find an egg donor,' it read. 'Could you be that special person to help our dreams of a family come true?'
Mrs Smith, who has struggled to stert a family after she had a fallopian tube removed, was faced with a year-long wait for eggs before she could begin IVF treatment at the CARE Fertility Clinic in Northampton.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/dtm7n6
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
The woman boss who is selling her eggs to pay off student debt
A businesswoman has put her eggs up for sale on the internet to help repay her student loans.
Marje Khan posted her details on the classified ads website Gumtree and hopes a couple will pay her £4,500 for the donation.
The 28-year-old accounts manager came up with the idea after reading in a magazine how much donors can earn.
She did not realise that in Britain it is illegal to be paid for donating eggs.
The procedure can also be life-threatening for the woman and risks leaving her infertile.
But critics claim advertising eggs for sale is becoming more widespread despite the regulations, as the internet is too hard to regulate.
They are concerned many are exploiting a loophole which states that egg donors are allowed to claim 'reasonable' expenses - but a reasonable amount is not stipulated in law.
Miss Khan, from South-West London, earns £40,000 a year but ran up her debts after studying for degrees in marketing and economics. She was born in Sweden and grew up in Stockholm. Her father was an interior designer father and her mother a teacher.
She came to Britain ten years ago to learn English and to study at Brunel University in West London. But although her parents helped pay some of her fees, after five years of studying she has £50,000 of student loans of pay off.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/9XNsgl
Marje Khan posted her details on the classified ads website Gumtree and hopes a couple will pay her £4,500 for the donation.
The 28-year-old accounts manager came up with the idea after reading in a magazine how much donors can earn.
She did not realise that in Britain it is illegal to be paid for donating eggs.
The procedure can also be life-threatening for the woman and risks leaving her infertile.
But critics claim advertising eggs for sale is becoming more widespread despite the regulations, as the internet is too hard to regulate.
They are concerned many are exploiting a loophole which states that egg donors are allowed to claim 'reasonable' expenses - but a reasonable amount is not stipulated in law.
Miss Khan, from South-West London, earns £40,000 a year but ran up her debts after studying for degrees in marketing and economics. She was born in Sweden and grew up in Stockholm. Her father was an interior designer father and her mother a teacher.
She came to Britain ten years ago to learn English and to study at Brunel University in West London. But although her parents helped pay some of her fees, after five years of studying she has £50,000 of student loans of pay off.
To read more go to http://bit.ly/9XNsgl
Monday, 26 April 2010
Been there, donated sperm and got the T-shirt
Should egg and sperm donors be rewarded with souvenir mugs and T-shirts? An independent think tank has launched a consultation to consider this and other wide-ranging ideas for increasing donations. The Nuffield Council on Bioethics will also canvass public and professional views on the consequences of allowing body tissues and organs to be openly sold and traded.
'There's a real demand for bodily material that's simply not being met. Demand significantly exceeds supply', said Dame Marilyn Strathern, professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University, who is leading the consultation working party.
Other ideas to be considered include: easing laws prohibiting the collection of eggs from dead people; helping recipients and donors to exchange thanks or tokens of appreciation; and improving technologies for saving organs and tissues from those who die outside hospital. According to Management in Practice, they will also look at 'presumed consent' systems, 'thank you' letters and certificates.
'Perhaps we should accept that we can only do so much to meet the ever increasing demand', said Professor Strathern in a Nuffield Council press release. 'We also need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done'.
To find out more information go to
http://bit.ly/bL4opJ
'There's a real demand for bodily material that's simply not being met. Demand significantly exceeds supply', said Dame Marilyn Strathern, professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University, who is leading the consultation working party.
Other ideas to be considered include: easing laws prohibiting the collection of eggs from dead people; helping recipients and donors to exchange thanks or tokens of appreciation; and improving technologies for saving organs and tissues from those who die outside hospital. According to Management in Practice, they will also look at 'presumed consent' systems, 'thank you' letters and certificates.
'Perhaps we should accept that we can only do so much to meet the ever increasing demand', said Professor Strathern in a Nuffield Council press release. 'We also need to think about the morality of pressing people to donate their bodily material. Offering payment or other incentives may encourage people to take risks or go against their beliefs in a way they would not have otherwise done'.
To find out more information go to
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Sunday, 18 April 2010
Three women, one man create baby using surrogacy and egg donation
They are divided by geography and share no family link.
But Claire Horner, Cheryl Richards and Cathy Sidaway are united by a very special bond: they have joined forces to have a baby. After battling breast cancer three times, Mrs Horner's dearest wish was to have a baby brother or sister for her four-year-old son, Jack.
But doctors warned her and husband Dennis that she should not fall pregnant again as it could raise the risk of the cancer returning. So in a remarkable case Miss Sidaway donated her eggs, which were fertilised using Mr Horner's sperm and Mrs Richards agreed to act as a surrogate to carry the baby.
Now Mrs Richards is more than 12 weeks pregnant, in what is thought to be a British fertility care first. Consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist Mark Sedler, who is handling the case, said: 'It is the first time that we have had a situation like this where all parties know each other, yet are unrelated to each other, and there has been a successful ongoing pregnancy.'
Part-time magistrate and nursing sister Mrs Horner was just 37 when she was diagnosed with cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while on holiday with her husband, now 49. She underwent surgery to remove the lump, but the cancer returned for a second time a year later. At the time the couple, who live in Richmond, Surrey, were undergoing IVF treatment to start a family of their own but had to put their plans on hold.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aTwGVp
But Claire Horner, Cheryl Richards and Cathy Sidaway are united by a very special bond: they have joined forces to have a baby. After battling breast cancer three times, Mrs Horner's dearest wish was to have a baby brother or sister for her four-year-old son, Jack.
But doctors warned her and husband Dennis that she should not fall pregnant again as it could raise the risk of the cancer returning. So in a remarkable case Miss Sidaway donated her eggs, which were fertilised using Mr Horner's sperm and Mrs Richards agreed to act as a surrogate to carry the baby.
Now Mrs Richards is more than 12 weeks pregnant, in what is thought to be a British fertility care first. Consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist Mark Sedler, who is handling the case, said: 'It is the first time that we have had a situation like this where all parties know each other, yet are unrelated to each other, and there has been a successful ongoing pregnancy.'
Part-time magistrate and nursing sister Mrs Horner was just 37 when she was diagnosed with cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while on holiday with her husband, now 49. She underwent surgery to remove the lump, but the cancer returned for a second time a year later. At the time the couple, who live in Richmond, Surrey, were undergoing IVF treatment to start a family of their own but had to put their plans on hold.
To read further go to http://bit.ly/aTwGVp
Sunday, 4 April 2010
Egg donors: US students paid too much?
US ethical guidelines on compensation for egg donation are frequently being breached and student donors with higher-than-average SAT scores are being offered higher compensation for their eggs, according to a US study.
Professor Aaron Levine of the Georgia Institute of Technology concluded that the voluntary guidelines issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) may not work and questioned the ethical protection afforded to egg donors. He looked at over 100 egg donation advertisements placed in 63 student newspapers. Nearly one quarter of advertisements offered compensation exceeding $10,000 and another quarter offered compensation between $5,000 and $10,000.
The US fertility industry relies upon self-regulation, but the ASRM recommends that compensation for eggs over $5,000 requires 'justification' and exceeding $10,000 is 'not appropriate'. The ASRM considers the $5,000 threshold as fair compensation for the donor's efforts and expense, but not enough to amount to exploitation or unfair inducement. Many commentators are ethically opposed to the perceived payment for eggs because it presents a financial inducement for women to assume health risks associated with egg donation and may also lead to the commoditisation of human tissue.
Professor Levine also discovered anecdotal evidence that egg donors who can show higher educational achievements are paid more for their eggs than those who cannot. Average SAT scores were a 'strong predictor' of compensation offered. An increase of 100 SAT points correlated to an increase in egg value by $2,350. This increased to $5,780 for advertisements placed by donor agencies. Fertility clinics, however, offered the same amount of compensation to all donors, regardless of academic attainment.
Professor Levine concluded that: 'donor agencies and couples valued specific donor characteristics and based compensation on these preferences - a violation of the guidelines'.
John Robertson, ASRM Ethics Committee Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Texas, writing in an editorial in the same issue, said that donors are currently given an arbitrary amount of compensation and there is no consensus on what is appropriate or may amount to inappropriate inducement. Professor Robertson said that the issue cannot be left to the fertility experts, but warned that giving the guidelines greater legal status may push the issue behind closed doors.
Professor Levine published his findings in the March 2010 edition of the Hastings Center Report.
www.prideangel.com
Professor Aaron Levine of the Georgia Institute of Technology concluded that the voluntary guidelines issued by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) may not work and questioned the ethical protection afforded to egg donors. He looked at over 100 egg donation advertisements placed in 63 student newspapers. Nearly one quarter of advertisements offered compensation exceeding $10,000 and another quarter offered compensation between $5,000 and $10,000.
The US fertility industry relies upon self-regulation, but the ASRM recommends that compensation for eggs over $5,000 requires 'justification' and exceeding $10,000 is 'not appropriate'. The ASRM considers the $5,000 threshold as fair compensation for the donor's efforts and expense, but not enough to amount to exploitation or unfair inducement. Many commentators are ethically opposed to the perceived payment for eggs because it presents a financial inducement for women to assume health risks associated with egg donation and may also lead to the commoditisation of human tissue.
Professor Levine also discovered anecdotal evidence that egg donors who can show higher educational achievements are paid more for their eggs than those who cannot. Average SAT scores were a 'strong predictor' of compensation offered. An increase of 100 SAT points correlated to an increase in egg value by $2,350. This increased to $5,780 for advertisements placed by donor agencies. Fertility clinics, however, offered the same amount of compensation to all donors, regardless of academic attainment.
Professor Levine concluded that: 'donor agencies and couples valued specific donor characteristics and based compensation on these preferences - a violation of the guidelines'.
John Robertson, ASRM Ethics Committee Chair and Professor of Law at the University of Texas, writing in an editorial in the same issue, said that donors are currently given an arbitrary amount of compensation and there is no consensus on what is appropriate or may amount to inappropriate inducement. Professor Robertson said that the issue cannot be left to the fertility experts, but warned that giving the guidelines greater legal status may push the issue behind closed doors.
Professor Levine published his findings in the March 2010 edition of the Hastings Center Report.
www.prideangel.com
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