Donors: To Pay, or Not to Pay

Abstract

Attitudes towards and concerns about recognition and payment options for donation in New Zealand and Australia Commercial inducement for the provision of gametes is prohibited in New Zealand and Australia. This has been argued to limit access to donor gametes and contribute to the pursuit of potentially unregulated cross-border reproductive care by domestic patients. 434 participants, including those with infertility and treatment experience, donors, recipients and clinic professionals, completed an online questionnaire assessing their support for a range of recognition and payment options, and their concerns about payment constituting financial reward. Overall, participants supported the reimbursement of direct costs associated with donation, including medical expenses, travel time, and unpaid time away from work relating to treatment. Nonmaterial forms of recognition or tokens of thanks received less support. Lowest ratings of support were noted for the outright payment of donors for the supply of their gametes. Concerns about payment related to assumptions about the type of donor motivated by financial reward, and the possibility that if paid donors might be more likely to conceal relevant treatment information. Further concerns included the increased financial burden for recipients and concern for donor-offspring wellbeing. Support for payment over and above reimbursement of costs was related to a belief that payment was necessary to ensure gamete supply. Sonja Goedeke: Sonja’s research focuses on the psychosocial and ethical implications of assisted reproductive technologies. She has published, presented and supervised projects related to egg and embryo donation, the concept of gifting in donation, counselling, cross border reproductive care, mild stimulation protocols, social egg freezing, policy/legislation, parenting/remaining child ‘free’ after IVF, embryo disposal decisions and the recognition/compensation of donors.