Ignoring more serious ethical issues, a lawsuit asks, “How much should a woman be paid for her eggs?” Women who sell their eggs are not considered patients, but donors, even though the process of extracting a woman’s eggs involves a medical procedure, includes medical risks, and the woman is compensated for her eggs. Arguing that egg donation “carries the same risks as other surgical procedures involving anesthesia,” the San Francisco civil-rights lawyer MonaLisa Wallace petitioned the United States Justice Department to crack down on “the illegal egg-trafficking industry.” Despite the legality and complexity of the issue, women continue to “donate” their eggs, and often experience physical and emotional pain and injury in the process.

Jacoba Urist, The Atlantic, November 4, 2015.

URL: www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/11/how-much-should-a-woman-be-paid-for-her-eggs/414142/