India becomes a popular fertility treatment destination. But it is necessary to evaluate the awareness of egg donation among the population of this country. Infertile heterosexual couples often use egg donation services because female partners unable to produce sufficient healthy eggs for conceiving. Currently, gay couples and single men also seek for egg donation service to enjoy their fatherhood. Egg donors provide their eggs to artificial fertilization through IVF and the surrogate gestates the embryo full-term and delivers the child/children.
Gay couples from different countries were often visited in India before 2012 for seeking surrogacy. However, surrogacy law has changed and current law has some restrictions for preceding surrogacy in India. No statistical data available for egg donation cycles have already been completed in India. But the National Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Registry of India mentioned that from 1047 to 2130 of the number of anonymous egg donation cycles happened during 2007 to 2009, which indicates more than doubled performances. Experts believe the rising number of cycles in India during this phase because of Indian population unaware of the gamete donation. Therefore, the number of fertility clinics increased to treat international patients.
In India, egg donation is permissible between 21 to 35 years of age. Indian egg donors may motivate to donate their eggs because of receiving financial compensation for their egg donation. The amount of compensation may higher than the amount that they can earn from the other works.
Indian populations who are mainly involved in egg donation services do not want to know detailed about this subject because they are satisfied with financial remuneration. Compare with other countries like the USA altruistic motives are preferred. Thus, egg donors are keener to know about the detail of egg donation. However, this topic is debatable that financial motives only motivate egg donors to help others. There may be other reasons which inspire an egg donor to donate her egg to infertile women.
Indian couples who are using egg donation services usually try to keep it a secret to avoid social stigma about their infertility issue. Some infertile couples also have a fear to disclose this because to protect the perceived biological relationship.
It is fact that most of the egg donors in India are poor women and their literacy level also low. These egg donors consider that egg donation is substantially an earning method by selling their eggs. But gradually people know the facts and try to avoid multiple times egg donation because repeated overstimulation of the ovaries may cause medical consequences. Medical researchers have discovered that hormonal treatment during egg donation can increase the risk of cancer development. This can be controlled by informed consenting which will clear all the doubts related to egg donation, as well as explain the possible egg donation consequences. This measure not only reduces the risk associated with egg donation but also increases awareness among them.
References:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240566181630003X