halachik problems with donating eggs?

amother

Sun, Oct 31 2010, 3:00 pm

there's a reason they pay so much money for eggs, cuz its a very physically demanding procedure with risks involved. she should just know going in that its not easy money.... they pay so much money cuz otherwise it wouldln't be worthwhile

nylon

Sun, Oct 31 2010, 4:09 pm

It's not just about looks. I could pass for Irish, while some other Ashkenazim look like Arabs. It's a vague sense of having the baby come from the same ethnic background (above the halachic issue of whether Jewish status comes from the biological mother or the birth mother, for which Ashkenazi/Sephardi doesn't matter).

As for the risks: You're not using up any eggs by doing it, AIUI. Your body actually starts maturing multiple follicles a month--it's just that only 1 (usually) makes it to maturation. However, it's a lot of drugs, and the risk of OHSS, though slim, is real. Egg retrieval is done sedated (a friend who recently had it done said they gave fentanyl and Versed, but I can't promise that every center does it the same way). It's also physically and emotionally taxing--the drugs can make you crazy.

There is a reason they pay thousands for eggs, and not so much for sperm. One's a lot more work!