A senior member of the Church of Scotland, backed by a Roman Catholic counterpart, has raised concerns around the practice of “auctioning” and selling human eggs for in vitro fertilization treatment.
“The sale of human eggs favours the commoditization of human parts — human eggs should not be in a shopping basket on the same level as a grocery item,” said Rev. Ian Galloway, convener of the church’s Church and Society Council.
The sale of human eggs is not allowed in Britain, where donors are only compensated “reasonable” expenses and loss of earnings up to a maximum of 250 British pounds (CDN$387).
“The Church of Scotland has a clear policy against the sale of human eggs because it considers the practice exploitative of the poor, who may feel compelled to become donors for a fee,” said Galloway.
The concerns follow recent news reports about an initiative of American and British fertility clinics focusing on the marketing of human eggs to British fertility patients.
At a seminar in London in March, participants had their names put into a draw to win a treatment cycle worth an estimated CDN$20,130.
Peter Kearney, spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland, said most people would be ‘repulsed’ by the idea of using a human egg as a reward for attending a seminar. — ENI
