http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com Facts, insights and opinions about egg donors, surrogates, and intended parents. Fri, 14 May 2010 19:36:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Yet another reaction to the Hastings Center report, this time in the New York Times ("Payment Offers to Egg Donors Prompt Scrutiny"). Here’s the shocker: people are willing to pay more for highly desirable egg donors! This is hardly news, although it is reported as such. These outrageous offers get publicity, but ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/egg-donor-compensation-2/ Today on Boston.com: "Yes, top students reap rich rewards, even as egg donors" Here is one response to the Hastings Center Report that studied advertisements for egg donors. People with access to expensive IVF treatments tend to be more educated, and are typically looking for donors similar to them. The SAT is the handiest ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/good-sat-scores-egg-donation/ The following is a response to "The Human Egg Trade (How Canada's Fertility Laws are failing donors, doctors, and parents)". The situation in Canada demonstrates how a lack of clear regulations for egg donation has a ripple effect of deviance from standard protocols in other parts of the process. The egg ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/fertility-laws-us-canada/ Self proclaimed “fertility planner” Angie Best-Boss, founder of My Fertility Plan, is quoted in the Washington Times ("Having a baby in the fertility maze: new specialty guides for parents"), regarding the value of her services: "This is an industry that is not regulated at all. What you can't get on Google ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/myths-fertility-industry/ Today's New York Times article ("Building a Baby, with Few Ground Rules") describes cases that went wrong, even though it mentions in passing that most surrogacies work out just fine. I hope it does not discourage intended parents from pursuing surrogacy, or just make surrogacy appear unseemly in the eyes of the ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/new-york-times-article-surrogacy/ Last week we announced the launch of four new locations for NAFG, in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami and Washington, DC. We believe that by expanding our pool of egg donors, gestational carriers, and clients, it will be even easier for donors, recipients, gestational carriers and intended parents to take advantage of our ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/nafg-atlanta-dallas-miami-washington-dc/ A story ran on Tuesday about a panel at Barnard College which sought to raise questions about the cost and benefit in ongoing debates over egg donation. Unless these quotations are wrong (and they may indeed be, if Barnard’s student journalism is as poorly researched as this panel discussion), these Barnard ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/barnard-college-panel-egg-donation/ The Washington Times has run an article, "Our bodies, our sales: No windfalls in plasma, egg donations" stating that while egg donation and surrogacy may provide financial payoffs, the criteria and long-term implications should be taken into consideration.  Kathy Benardo, director of the NAFG egg donor program, is quoted throughout ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/egg-donation-economy-washington-times/ (Article in New Scientist: “Cheap IVF offers hope to childless millions”) Despite the public perception that Africa is overpopulated, the majority of infertile couples reside in Third World countries, especially in Africa. The causes of infertility in Africa are much different from those in Europe and the US. In my experience, ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/infertility-treatment-poor-countries/ New York State’s 11-year, $600 million stem cell research initiative was approved as part of last year’s state budget; now labs can pay women to donate their eggs for research.  We are not sure yet what portion of the budget will fund the study of human oocytes (eggs), how the ... http://www.assistedfertilityblog.com/new-york-donate-eggs-research/