The compensation that egg donors receive will rise for the first time in over a decade in the UK, but people should not donate purely for the money, the fertility regulator has warned. It is illegal to pay someone for their eggs in the UK but compensation is paid to cover expenses. This will rise from £750 to £986 on 1 October, partly to reflect price rises.
The UK currently has a shortage of egg donors, particularly from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, the regulator said. Yasmin Sharman was inspired to donate for the first time aged 18. “I realised there was a lack of people of colour donors and that upset me… and so that made me want to do it again,” they said.
I identify as a non-binary lesbian so I already had the thought in my head of I may have to go through different routes to have children,” they explained. Now aged 26, Mx Sharman has donated three times and shares their egg donation journey on TikTok. They said a lot of the comments focused on the compensation not being considered enough.
“If you raise it too much there is a risk there that people will do it solely for the money, which puts lower income people more at risk,” they said. The compensation will rise for the first time since 2011 in England Wales and NI partly due to inflation, said the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Egg donor compensation is not paid in Scotland.
“It’s going up to just under £1,000 which the HFEA felt was a right balance between compensating people for their time but really recognising that, in the UK, egg donation is an altruistic act,” said Clare Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at the HFEA.
Donating purely for the money should come with a “clear health warning” as there are some dangers, added Ms Ettinghausen. It’s not without risks. You go through the first part of IVF treatment. It can be uncomfortable,” she added. Donors are also made aware that any children born from their eggs can try to contact them once they turn 18.
Source: BBC
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