Compensation payments to egg donors?
The US ethicist Insoo Hyun advocates financial compensation for the efforts of egg donors in the context of stem cell research. In doing so, he opposes the current practice in American research institutions, which only reimburse women for direct expenses such as travel expenses.
The ethicist bases his move on the fact that in the US all he althy research volunteers receive financial compensation for the time and potential risks and inconveniences associated with the particular study or medical treatment. Since egg donors also belong to this group of people, it is not justified to exclude them from this system.
On average, according to the expert, an egg donation takes women around forty hours. They also received painful hormone injections for three weeks and would have to undergo minor surgery to remove the eggs. Since this is also associated with risks and the participants do not benefit from their donation, it cannot be required that they undergo this procedure solely for altruistic reasons.
Critics fear that paying egg donors could tempt women from poorer backgrounds in particular to undergo the treatment for financial reasons alone. However, Hyun explains that this problem can be countered with strict recruitment rules and a fixed compensation that only corresponds to the effort. A free market for egg cells should be prevented.
In Germany, the embryo protection law of 1990 prohibits the donation of egg cells.
