CV NEWS FEED // Several women who donated their eggs when they were younger — and were often uninformed of the involved health risks and complications — recently shared their personal stories with The Free Press, warning other women about the little-known perils associated with the American egg donor industry.
According to The Free Press’ report, which approaches the issue mostly from a medical standpoint, women often donate their eggs to pay bills or pay for college. Some also perceive it as an act of charity to help couples who can’t conceive on their own.
But less talked about are the hazards posed to a woman’s physical health, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, twisted ovaries, and accidents that occur during the retrieval surgery. A woman’s emotional health is damaged too, due to anonymous donation and federal health privacy laws that create the weight of not knowing whether or not she has biological children.
“When someone asks me if I have kids, I don’t know how to answer that question because I don’t know,” one former donor told the Free Press.
Another former donor who went through the process six times and now suffers from severe endometriosis and adenomyosis said she wasn’t made aware of the risks before donating.
“These were never presented to me as in ‘these are real risks that could impact the rest of your life,’” she told the Free Press. “I never saw this coming.”
Women who donated their eggs are now realizing the issues in the industry and advising other women of their own experiences.
“You are donating your own genetics—you absolutely have a say in what happens to them,” a donor said. “There are no take-backs.”
The Free Press’ full report with the women’s personal stories is available here.
