I think that's bad news. For her part, the recipient may find that this unusual form of conception brings extra complications to motherhood. Even mothers unfazed by the fact that their child comes from a donated egg confront the question of whether to tell their sons or daughters the truth about their origins. Disclosure could make children feel stigmatized, but secrecy is burdensome and deceptive. For bioethicists, egg donation, which combines organ giveaways and piles of cash, raises an untidy heap of questions.
Some ethicists believe the notion of paying women for eggs is untenable.
Some brokers, too, act as if they were running an egg auction. The Beverly Hills brokerage, for example, has a donor Web site accessible to anyone with confirmed infertility. Visitors pull up donors by criteria such as religion and home state. An extra click of the mouse brings up a photo and details reminiscent of a personals ad. Center staffers defend the site by saying it's an educational tool rather than a selection pool of donors.