Bioethical and psycho-social implications of egg-sharing in IVF treatments

Zeynep is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge and Convener of the Cambridge Interdisciplinary Reproduction Forum (CIRF). Her research interests concern the social, psychological and ethical questions surrounding the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), and seeks to better understand the ways in which ARTs are experienced by their users.

Currently, Zeynep is working in collaboration with Prof. Susan Golombok (Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge) and Dr. Kamal Ahuja (London Women’s Clinic), on a research project examining the bioethical and psycho-social implications of egg-sharing in IVF treatments. The practice of egg-sharing – whereby a woman undergoing IVF shares half of her eggs (i.e. ‘donates’ them to another woman) and in exchange receives her treatment at a greatly reduced rate – has been regulated in the UK since 1998. Although ethical concerns regarding the motives of ‘donors’ who were offered ‘benefits-in-kind’ (i.e. free or cheaper IVF treatment) and related questions surrounding the validity of their consent made egg-sharing a controversial practice in the beginning, it has now become a widely available response to donor egg shortages in the UK and beyond. This research project seeks to investigate, for the first time, the retrospective and prospective views of large numbers of egg-sharers (both donors and recipients of eggs) and provide a thorough analysis of the history and current practice of egg-sharing in the UK. Zeynep will be conducting the literature review of the project during her stay at the Brocher Foundation (2 July – 13 September), and is also hoping to spend some time at the WHO.