by SANKA PRICE

BARBADIAN WOMEN are not being encouraged to give their eggs for fertilisation to childless couples for money.

Clinical director of the Barbados Fertility Clinic, Anna Hosford, who runs the egg donation programme, explained it was not a case of just paying people for eggs.

She said the clinic gave a sum to donors only as compensation for their time and inconvenience.

"[They] get paid $1 000, but that's really just to cover their expenses," said Hosford.

"We're not actually paying for their eggs. This is really altruistic; this is really women helping other women. It is the gift of life.

"The $1 000 helps to cover their child care, taxis, bus fare. The day of the egg collection they need to have child care for a day because they are obviously here for a long period.

"It is really to be sure that as they're doing something so generous that they themselves are not out of pocket for any expense," said Hosford.

The director revealed that the Hastings, Christ Church, clinic used the services of between 20 and 30 women each donation cycle for fertilisation (IVF). Those selected, said Hosford, need to be under 35 years old, in good health, already have children, and be free from any infectious diseases. They are also counselled so they fully understand what they are getting into.

No comeback

"We want to understand that they understand what they're doing. To be sure they know that the day of the egg collection that [when] the eggs are transferred to the recipient couple, they have no comeback on any resulting child; that it is totally anonymous, [and] they do not find out what happens to the baby's life," Hosford explained. She said to ensure these conditions, the women signed a consent form to that effect.

Explaining that the clinic had a long list of childless couples, Hosford said they sought to match the donors with the recipient couple basically on intellect and characteristics such as eye colour, hair colour, blood group and so on. They also look at hobbies.

"The important thing is the welfare of the child. The child has to fit in with the family, so we do a quite intensive matching process," she said.

Hosford noted that a donor can pull out of the process at any time. However, if they pass the screening and go through counselling and want to go ahead, they are given hormonal injections. Thereafter, the donors need about four to five visits to the clinic during that time for monitoring. When the time comes for egg collection, the eggs are removed in a needle through the walls of the vagina.

"It is not a big operation; you don't have any cuts or anything like that. Then pretty much you go back to normal," said Hosford.