The Exploitation of Egg Donors

My latest investigation explores the booming—and unregulated—U.S. egg donor market. Plus: News, wellness trends, women's health research, and more!

TikTok is flush with videos promising easy money. The fine print is noticeably missing.

I have a new feature out, but first, some background:

Last year, I wrote a story for New York magazine’s The Cut about how egg donation is often still stigmatized: women speak of shame, isolation, and pangs of inadequacy compounded by a clueless public still unfamiliar with the practice. It was titled The Last Fertility Taboo.

But one section got cut, partially due to space constraints: How are egg donors recruited and treated? What are the short and long-term medical risks? And why is the U.S. a leading global supplier of donor eggs?

I thought it an important part of the story, especially since some intended parents expressed guilt over whatever was happening on the other end of the egg agency. Many women said they sought reputable clinics where they believed—or hoped—their donors were well informed of the risks and their health prioritized. But as one mom told me, “There are places where they are like donor egg factory farms.”

While pitching this to other outlets, I learned that not everyone wants to know what’s happening to American egg donors. It sometimes seems as if the emotionally charged sector of family-building is often shielded from criticism. With significant empathy for those facing infertility, there’s less consideration for whether the industry is hurting people on the road to making them.

In my latest feature—for The Free Press—I profile an industry medical experts and donors increasingly call unregulated, unethical, and booming, partly due to venture capital’s meddling. The medical community is increasingly raising concerns about aggressive egg extraction protocols, medical neglect, and long-term health complications. Meanwhile, there’s concern regarding unfair contracts, legal ownership issues, and anonymity complications.

As one donor told me, “It's a wild, wild west.”