Health

With Economy Sinking, Egg Donations On Rise

Women Coming Out In Droves To Make Needed Extra Cash, Satisfy Overwhelming Demand From Fertility Clinics

NEW YORK (CBS) ― Hard economic times are leading to tough decisions for more women needing help to make ends meet. Some are turning to fertility clinics where there's a surge in egg donations for cash.

Karen and Mark always wanted a big family, but after their first son, Kyle, was born with an inherited form of mental retardation, Karen learned she had a 50 percent chance of having another child born with the same disability.

So, Karen and Mark turned to egg donation and six months ago, she gave birth to their second son, Eric.

"If it weren't for the donors, this could not have happened for us," Karen said.

Once uncommon, more than 10,000 babies a year are now born from commercial egg donation and today some clinics say they're seeing a surge in the number of women looking to donate eggs as well as the number of women wanting to be repeat donors. The reason? They get paid up to $7,000 for one donation.

Christy bush helps support her two kids and pays for nursing school with the money she's earned donating eggs -- nearly $30,000. Over the past four years, she said, she's donated four times and, with money being tight, she's decided to donate again.

"It makes it so that I'm not working 40 hours a week," Bush said.

But Dr. Daniel Stein with St. Luke's Roosevelt's reproductive center said egg donation isn't an easy way to make a quick buck.

"Certainly it's not selling clothes, it's selling eggs," Dr. Stein said. "It's a lengthy process first with selection process, medical screening, substance abuse screening, even psychological screening."

Donors will also spend weeks taking fertility drugs. They must also take medications that can cause hot flashes, headaches and even vision problems. Donors have to undergo frequent blood tests and ultrasounds, and it takes several days to recover after the eggs are harvested.

Typically, Dr. Stein said both donor and recipient are happy with the choice they've made. Depending upon the agreement donors do not have legal rights to contact or see the child down the road. 

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