 | Alexandra Saunders - willing to sell her eggs |
Egg DonorsIn 2002 a student from Aston University hit the headlines when she sold her eggs to an infertile couple in America. Four years on Inside Out looks at the issues that still surround egg donation, and the shortage of egg donors. Fertility treatment Every year, 4,000 women apply to receive fertility treatment with the help of donated eggs, but there are only 1,000 available eggs. It's illegal in this country to sell your eggs - you can only donate your eggs altruistically. Recent change in the law means that donations can't be anonymous, so when a child born from a donated egg reaches 18, he or she can find out who their biological mother is. This lack of anonymity puts many potential donors off. But in Eastern Europe and America this isn't the case - donations are anonymous, and women can be paid - which has created a market for those willing to pay thousands for the chance of parenthood. Eggs for cashAlexandra Saunders is one woman who is willing to sell her eggs for cash. In an exclusive interview for Inside Out she says that increasing debt led to her putting her eggs on the market through an internet site. She first heard about the trade in a magazine article: "I was sat in a doctor's waiting room and I read about it in a magazine - it was saying about girls coming from Britain and going to America and selling their eggs for 30 grand. "It just sounds a good idea, easy money really, and it helps someone out. Cos I'm not using them, so if someone else can it would be good, and also clear me out of a hole too."
Search for donors | | Miracle of life - a precious egg from a donor |
For couples who receive eggs the result can be life changing. Steve and Elaine Eades were one couple who received an egg from a voluntary donor at Midland Fertility Services in Aldridge. The birth of twins Millie and Grace has made their family complete, and they are calling for more women to consider voluntary donation. "We can't thank that person enough and we never will be able to thank that person, but for people thinking of donatingÂ… "It can make people happy beyond anything in your wildest dreams." Steve Eades
As the debate over the rights and wrongs of donor anonymity and paying women for eggs rages on, thousands of couples face an anxious wait to find a suitable donor. Links relating to this story:The BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites | 
Inside Out - West Midlands: Monday October 30, 2006
