It is estimated that one couple every week travel abroad from New Zealand for egg donation fertility treatment due to the ban in New Zealand on egg donors being paid.
Couples are travelling to the US and Europe to receive treatment.
One couple, Mel and Simon Mann went to a fertility clinic in Southern California for treatment.
Paid for donor eggs
Their donor Anna was paid $6,000 for 28 eggs that ended up with 13 fertilised embryos. The additional embryos were frozen in order to give Mel a second chance, if needed.
In Mel's case she had seven rounds of IVF treatment and a number of multiple pregnancies go wrong, which led to her fallopian tubes being removed.
Egg donation process
The egg donation treatment works by using donor eggs and fertilizing them with her husband's sperm before the eggs are placed in Mel's womb. So far the couple have not had the success they hoped for, losing one child early in the pregnancy. However, they have returned to the clinic to try again.
Ethical issues
Professor Professor Gareth Jones, a bioethicist at Otago University says the situation should be looked at. "The present reality is that commercialisation of any human tissue is prohibited in this country".
"Do we want to have markets of buying and selling for not only human tissue but also children, or babies? I think there are issues involved here ethically."
Professor Jones believes that paying for eggs could eventually lead to the buying and selling of live organs.
Read more at: tvnz.co.nz
Couples are travelling to the US and Europe to receive treatment.
One couple, Mel and Simon Mann went to a fertility clinic in Southern California for treatment.
Paid for donor eggs
Their donor Anna was paid $6,000 for 28 eggs that ended up with 13 fertilised embryos. The additional embryos were frozen in order to give Mel a second chance, if needed.
In Mel's case she had seven rounds of IVF treatment and a number of multiple pregnancies go wrong, which led to her fallopian tubes being removed.
Egg donation process
The egg donation treatment works by using donor eggs and fertilizing them with her husband's sperm before the eggs are placed in Mel's womb. So far the couple have not had the success they hoped for, losing one child early in the pregnancy. However, they have returned to the clinic to try again.
Ethical issues
Professor Professor Gareth Jones, a bioethicist at Otago University says the situation should be looked at. "The present reality is that commercialisation of any human tissue is prohibited in this country".
"Do we want to have markets of buying and selling for not only human tissue but also children, or babies? I think there are issues involved here ethically."
Professor Jones believes that paying for eggs could eventually lead to the buying and selling of live organs.
Read more at: tvnz.co.nz
