Women Line Up to Donate Eggs

December 9, 2008

Here’s another sign of the tough economic times: Some clinics are reporting a surge in the number of women applying to donate eggs or serve as surrogate mothers for infertile couples.

The going rate for a surrogate is about $25,000. Egg donors generally receive $3,000 to $8,000. But a few agencies advertise that they’ll pay much more for specific characteristics. One ad running in campus newspapers promises $25,000 for a donor who is “100% Jewish with … High SAT Scores… Attractive, at Healthy Body Weight and Free of Genetic Diseases.” (Wall Street Journal)