HFEA to pay egg-donors £250

Background briefing.

From SPUC: SPUC has condemned yesterday's decision by the UK government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to allow women to be paid £250 in "expenses" for donating their eggs for use in embryo experimentation. Anthony Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, commented: "For poorer women, this amount will be an incentive to donate their eggs, and it is unethical, dangerous and unnecessary. It is unethical because it is aimed at creating even more human lives in the laboratory, many of whom are killed outright or in dubious experiments. It is dangerous because the risks associated with the drugs given to stimulate the ovaries and the egg
harvesting process include renal failure, infertility, cancer and even death. It is unnecessary because successful ethical alternatives to embryo destruction exist." [SPUC, 21 February]