Women selling ovum for RM3,000-RM8,000, says report
Though it is illegal to sell their eggs for the good of couples who cannot conceive, some women are doing just that, despite long-term risks.
The women, some of whom are still in college, are believed to have made between RM3,000 and RM8,000 by selling their eggs.
Their reasons for doing so vary – some want to pay off debts or further their studies, while others want the money to buy branded bags or smartphones, the report said.
Although it seems a novel way to make an extra buck, the ethics surrounding such sales are dubious.
The daily quoted a lawyer who said it was illegal to accept payment for donating eggs. And according to one of the donors, not everyone gets what they were promised. The 22-year-old told the paper that the middleman had offered her RM4,500 for her ovum, but she only received RM3,000.
She said the middleman had claimed her payment was deducted to cover some medication.
A journalist who had gone undercover as a donor was reported saying that the middleman with whom she had contact asked her to put on make-up in order to please the client.
According to the report, she was also told that she would have to bear the RM250 cost for the medical check-up if she changed her mind.
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It has been previously reported that studies into ovum donation reveal some long-term risks to the donor. According to the studies, the long-term impact of egg donation could see a woman going through early menopause, having an increased risk of ovarian cancer, and it can also affect their own fertility.