Rewarding women who donate eggs with up to £1000 and relaxing rules on importing gametes could help UK fertility clinics that are struggling to find willing donors, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority said last week.
The suggestions are part of a public consultation by the authority on gametes and embryo donation. It comes as clinics face further challenges in recruiting donors. From April 2005 the anonymity of donors will no longer be protected, and their identity could be disclosed once their genetic children reach the age of 18.
A survey of UK clinics carried out by the authority earlier this year found that 62% of clinics predicted that the move would lead to a further decline in donations.
The authority's chairwoman, Suzi Leather, said there were strong arguments for women to get more than men in compensation. Donors are currently paid a maximum of £15 ($28; €21) per donation, plus expenses.
She said: “Over 37 000 children have been born in the UK as a result of people donating sperm, eggs, and embryos, but our research shows that clinics are struggling to find suitable willing donors for their patients.
“Egg donation, unlike sperm, is a medically and surgically invasive process. It can be physically demanding and is not without risk,” Ms Leather added.
Some countries, such as Germany, Norway, and Japan, prohibit egg donation on the grounds that it entails a small risk to the donor.
A consultation document has been drawn up after research and discussions with stakeholders, including clinics and organisations representing donors.
Most of these stakeholders favoured increasing compensation to women to payments in the range of £300 to £500 and up to £50 for men. But the public is now being asked to comment on whether compensation should be as high as £1000.
Ms Leather said that even if the United Kingdom wanted to introduce direct payments to donors it would be prevented under a European Union directive that is due to come into force in 2006.
“We do not want a culture change in gamete donation. We still want it to be based on altruism,” she said.
Professor Ian Craft, director of the London Fertility Centre, the first centre in the United Kingdom to introduce an egg donation programme, said increasing compensation to women who donate eggs to £1000 would change the situation “overnight.”
He added that donation was still a “taboo” subject in Britain and called for national campaigns similar to those for blood donation.
“It makes no sense for women to receive the same as men. It is invasive and time consuming for women,” said Professor Craft.
Views are also sought on several other topics, such as whether regulation governing the import of gametes should be relaxed and the limits on the number of eggs per donor.
The consultation document, The Regulation of Donor-Assisted Conception, and a questionnaire for interested respondents are at www.hfea.gov.uk