Young women ‘at risk’ in rise in egg donations

Women as young as 18 are putting their health at risk by donating eggs in exchange for money, campaigners have warned, as donation rates rise.

The number of 18 to 25-year-olds signing up with private fertility clinics increased from 190 in 2012 to 509 in 2022, with clinics allowed to pay up to £985 in expenses.

While it is illegal in the UK to buy a woman’s eggs, some clinics openly advertise the maximum expense payment and pay the full amount without asking for receipts, according to campaign group Surrogacy Concern.

Egg donation is generally considered safe, but the group says women are not always fully informed of potential side effects. These include ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome – a condition where the ovaries become swollen and painful – as well as bowel perforation, abscesses and, in rare cases, sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection.

The procedure involves taking hormone drugs to stimulate the ovaries, after which eggs are collected with a needle. Donors must be under 35, when fertility is at its highest.

Helen Gibson, founder of Surrogacy Concern, said teenagers may also underestimate the psychological impact.

“We’re really worried that women are doing this for money and are not being fully informed of the risks to their health,” she said.

“This is a lot of money at any age but especially if you’re working-class or a student.

“You could do it three times and make nearly £3,000, and you’re allowed to do up to ten cycles. It’s insanity.

“We want the minimum age for donation to rise to 25, all payments ended to remove the risk of financial motivation and adverts asking for young women to donate their eggs to be banned.”

Speaking during a debate in Parliament, MP Jim Shannon said: “The clinics almost glamourise it in a way that maybe those in financial need find themselves thinking it looks too good to be true.

“Campaigners have seen plenty of examples of payments quoted up front in adverts, directly incentivising young women to undergo this procedure for money, raising the likelihood of exploitation.

“This poses a significant risk to low-income, working-class women and to students as well.

“This also stands in stark contrast to payments for British kidney donors, which must be strictly itemised with the receipts provided.”

Health minister Karin Smyth said the £985 compensation had risen from £750 due to inflation and that clinics’ advertisements fall under the remit of the Advertising Standards Agency.

She said: “We will monitor the issues raised.

“Women’s health, particularly inequalities, are absolutely central to this Government’s priorities.”

Campaigners say the current system risks exploiting young women facing financial pressures and are calling for stricter rules around egg donation advertising and payment.