Dangers of Donating Eggs
Sometimes young women are asked to become egg donors as a way to help infertile couples possibly have children. Potential donors go through medical and psychological screenings and are then either approved or denied as a donor. If a woman proves to be a willing and acceptable donor, she is given a course of birth control pills and fertility drugs. Eggs are then surgically collected and frozen until donated.
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Cancer
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There is some evidence to suggest that the fertility drugs used to produce eggs for harvest may cause cancer.
Birth Control Effects
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Women who are donating eggs are given a regimen of birth control pills in addition to fertility drugs. This means that you could experience the numerous side effects of the birth control pills while taking them.
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Mild Side Effects
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Side effects of ovarian stimulation may include mood swings and possible ovarian infection.
Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome
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Occurring in 6 percent of the women who receive fertility drugs, a possible complication of generating eggs for harvest is known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, or OHS. In OHS, the ovaries start to produce massive numbers of eggs at the same time, causing blood vessels to leak fluid into the abdominal cavity. This can cause shortness of breath, bloating, vomiting, kidney failure and death.
Ethical Issues
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Egg donations are often used to help infertile couples but can also be used in stem cell research. You should know that it is possible that your eggs could be fertilized and implanted into a woman along with several other embryos. If several of the fetuses become viable, the woman and her doctor may choose to abort some of the fetuses to reduce the risk of pregnancy complications.
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