CHICAGO EGG DONOR/GESTATIONAL SURROGACY AGENCY
TAKES STAND FOR INDUSTRY ETHICAL STANDARDS
CHICAGO (Oct. 24, 2007) -- Alternative Reproductive Resources (ARR), a Chicago-based
egg donation and gestational surrogacy agency, has taken a
stand against misleading advertising and questionable industry
practices by publishing its own code of ethics.
The code, now posted to the agency’s Web site, calls for compensating
egg donors and gestational surrogates solely for their time,
effort and inconvenience, according to the American Society
of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) guidelines.
“We are appalled by some of the practices we’ve seen,” said
ARR President Robin von Halle. “Some agencies set up unrealistic
expectations for donors and intended parents alike, based on
things like SAT scores, athletic abilities and beauty pageant
titles. Such practices reflect poorly on our industry.”
Von
Halle cited a California agency’s ad in the Harvard Crimson
offering $50,000 to egg donors who are “tall, athletic and
brunette,” as well an East Coast agency whose Web site promotes
its pool of “Extraordinary Donors.” With qualifications of
an SAT over 1250, an ACT over 28 and a GPA over 3.5, and enrollment
in an Ivy League school, members’ eggs are “worth” three times
that of an “ordinary” donor.
“By putting a higher price tag on so-called ‘designer genes,’
we are crossing a dangerous ethical line and treating human
life like a commodity,” said von Halle. “We are also unleashing
a potential tsunami of legal issues.”
She further noted that the ASRM has established guidelines
governing compensation to egg donors, which some agencies try
to circumvent by offering gifts or special perks to “premium”
donors.
The ARR Code of Ethics also makes a statement against advertising
that promotes unrealistic expectations or false hopes among
prospective parents, donors or surrogates.
“We’ve seen ads in
the New York Times that imply the advertiser has a storehouse
of donated eggs just waiting to be fertilized and implanted,”
says von Halle. “In reality, an egg donation cycle is an approximate
six-week process.”
The ARR Code of Ethics also addresses a number of other issues:
Screening: Donors and gestational surrogates receive psychological
screening and consultation as well as legal representation
to make sure they are fully informed about the intricacies
of the process.
Egg donor anonymity: While prospective parents receive a 32-page
document detailing personal information about the donor, her
name is not revealed, nor is this information posted on a Web
site.
Surrogacy relationships: ARR facilitates a meeting between
potential surrogates and parents before they agree to work
together and promotes relationship building between parties
before embryo transfer to promote a positive experience for
all parties.
Von Halle hopes that other agencies will follow
ARR’s lead by adopting – and following – similar codes of ethics.
“Our
industry must set the highest standards of moral and ethical
conduct if we are to continue to achieve our mission of helping
couples or individuals achieve their dream of parenthood,”
she says.
Established in 1994, Chicago-based ARR was one of the first
agencies in the United States dedicated to locating and matching
egg donors (and, more recently gestational surrogates) with
intended parents from around the world. For further information,
contact von Halle at 773.327.7315, or info@arr1.com.
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