Abstract
Currently in Singapore, prohibitive restrictions on monetary reimbursement and compensation of egg donors have resulted in a severe shortage of donor oocytes for fertility treatment and scientific research. Financial compensation for egg donation has attracted considerable attention and debate in recent years as a practical solution to the growing demand for donor oocytes in Singapore. Some ethical guidelines and legislation for the recruitment and financial compensation of egg donors are proposed and discussed, including: first, egg donors should be reimbursed up to a limit for all direct expenses incurred, such as travel and accommodation costs; second, claims for loss of earnings and childcare expenses should be accompanied with documented proof and evaluated on a case-by-case basis; third, further compensation based on minimum wages or fixed-sum payment given to clinical trial volunteers is ethically justifiable, owing to the inconvenience, discomfort, pain, loss of time and medical risks faced by the egg donor. Nevertheless, payment of foreign egg donors from poorer countries should be prorated according to their actual wages, to avoid undue inducement; fourth compensation should be given for time spent in the program, even if the donor does not complete the program; fifth, medical professionals and scientists directly involved in fertility treatment or research should be completely excluded from the recruitment and compensation of egg donors; sixth, the import of donor eggs should be prohibited, to ensure legal and ethical consistency in donor compensation and informed consent policy; seventh, ovarian stimulation of foreign egg donors should not take place abroad; eighth, egg donors should preferably be restricted to Singapore citizens and permanent residents. Healthcare policymakers in Singapore should actively consult the views of medical professionals, biomedical scientists, religious and community leaders, as well as the general public, before reaching any decision on the recruitment and financial compensation of egg donors.
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Financial & competing interests disclosure
The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.
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