Assisted reproduction: should egg and sperm donors be paid?

Although in vitro fertilisation is now widely accepted, there is a shortage of donated eggs and many women in the UK are having to wait months and sometimes years for treatment by this method. Payment for donated eggs and sperm is not permitted at present in the UK. However, giving eggs is not risk-free and the donor may incur financial and time costs. The UK regulatory authority the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is currently reviewing sperm, egg and embryo donation policies which it expects will conclude later this year. This article discusses the legal and ethical issues surrounding payment for egg and sperm donors and argues that the time has come for this to be permitted with appropriate safeguards established by the HFEA.