SAN DIEGO, March 30, 2011: Since Eggsploitation’s release in 2010 by the Center for Bioethics and Culture, a conservative organization opposing assisted reproduction, the infertility field has been trying to gauge its effect. Is the sensational, one-sided film just another attack on infertility patients’ access to care that is no more than a passing phase or will it have a lasting impact on how the public perceives egg donation?
On Thursday, March 31 episode of The Surrogacy Lawyer: Your Guide to IVF and Third Party Family Building, host Theresa Erickson, Esq., and her guests will be discussing the allegations Eggsploitation makes about donor moms, egg donors and the entire infertility profession. She will be interviewing Marna Gatlin, founder of Parents Via Egg Donation; Sara Axel, donor mom and coordinator of the NYC Gathering Spot; a California egg donor; and John Hesla, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Oregon Reproductive Medicine.
Eggsploitation claims that donor egg moms, described as rich older women “who can buy what they want, just like another commodity,” exploit younger women, “the anonymous donors.” Another assertion perpetuated by the film is that egg donors are seemingly coerced into donating, lured by the “big” money of compensation, and are not educated about the risks they will be taking, thus exposing themselves to major health concerns.
“Despite its over-the-top imagery and one-sided depiction of egg donation, many in the infertility professional and patient communities feel that something good will evolve from discussing the issues the documentary raises. We are not disputing the horrific experiences described by the young women profiled and we empathize with their physical and emotional pain,“ says attorney Erickson. “But we also are cognizant of the larger agenda the Eggsploitation producers have about reproductive medicine. As a former egg donor and now as a third party reproduction specialist, I want to insure that the absolute best practices are utilized for the welfare of both egg donors and parents via egg donation. I am glad we have this chance to move the discussion forward.”
About Theresa Erickson, Esq.
Ms. Erickson is the managing partner of Erickson Law and the founder and chair of Conceptual Options, The Surrogacy and Egg Donation Center. In addition, Ms. Erickson is the author of the newly released Surrogacy and Embryo, Sperm, & Egg Donation: What Were You Thinking? Erickson was motivated to write her second book so she could educate potential intended parents, as well as the women who become surrogates and egg donors, about what all parties need to know if they are going to become involved in third party reproduction.
Attorney Erickson is a globally recognized expert in this specialized area of law and is a board member of the American Fertility Association and the legal director of Parents Via Egg Donation. For more information, please visit www.ericksonlaw.net and www.conceptualoptions.com.
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