College debt has become such a problem, that some young women are selling their eggs to help pay it off. The key word is help, since for UW-Milwaukee student Nichole Elsner, her eggs will only help pay for about 12 percent, or $7.000.
Media Milwaukee, the student paper for the university, profiled Elsner, who is a junior financially independent from her parents and does not have health insurance.
Elsner described the process of donating eggs, which involved a five-hour evaluations at a Chicago fertility trip Elsner wishes to remain anonymous. Media Milwaukee also highlighted this:
“The side effects are horrifying, but I think it’s worth the risk to help both a woman achieve her goal to have a child and help me pay for school,” Elsner said, “But, this really isn’t a good option for girls unless you’re broke and determined like me.”
When she turns 21, in January, her information will be made available online for those who may want to choose her as a donor.
Even in her willingness in that it’s “worth it,” there is still almost a sad desperation from Elsner. There’s also almost a comedic, sad sense of naiveness about the situation. On getting to meet any children conceived from her eggs when they turn 18, Elsner joked that she wants to give them the option to meet her “because I’m assuming I’ll be pretty (expletive) cool.”
Elsner is also considering being a surrogate, which pays more. On the morality factors behind the decision:
It’s refreshing to see that Elsner has thought about “the various stigmas” enough to understand them, but it’s still worth wondering if she’s thought about them enough. Egg donation is a major decision, and becoming a surrogate is even more so one.
While Elsner may seem naive, those who targeted her for her eggs certainly are not. She shared that she heard about egg donation through ads on social media. And, Media Milwaukee also notes that “in the last few years, fertility clinics like Georgia’s Reproductive Biology Associates specifically seek college females.”
It’s likely because such fertility clinics know that these “college females,” are vulnerable, and many of them desperate. Selling one’s eggs does come with such side effects, but there’s also the morality to consider as well
The Center for Bioethics and Culture released the documentary, Eggsploitation, and more recently Maggie’s Story. There is information also available about the infertility industry on its website, including a section with “Related Articles.”
In May 2013, the Acton Institute did a piece on young women in similar situations to Elsner, titled “Paying for College By Selling Yourself.”
Live Action News and LifeSiteNews.com have also done pieces about the effects of children conceived from egg donation. And National Review did a piece detailing the health risks for women.
Eisner may feel that the decision is right for her, and it may very well be. The point is there’s a lot to consider, primarily how much your eggs and a stipend of $7,000 are really worth to you. It’s a big decision, one which money should not be the only factor.
It’s a shame that she’s so much in debt that paying off loans involves selling your eggs because to her it “feels like my only option.” Right or wrong, it’s sad that she needs to be making such a decision in the first place.
