According to the This is Money website, a businesswoman has put her eggs up for sale on the Gumtree website to pay off some of her student debt.
‘Selling’ your eggs is illegal in the UK, but a woman can be paid ‘expenses’ to cover her costs. The small number of women willing to donate eggs in the UK has lead to a shortage which means many British couples have to go overseas for treatment.
Donating eggs in itself is not a simple procedure, donors have to take drugs over several days to produce extra eggs, which can lead to a condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. The condition is usually mild and easily monitored, but can be fatal in severe cases. They must then undergo surgery under general anaesthetic to have the eggs harvested.
The fertility watchdog, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, is reviewing its policy after conceding that a chronic shortage of eggs means many couples have to go abroad in their quest for a family.
