DriveThru – Get What You Need

The story may qualify as “old” as far as the daily news cycle is concerned but the impact of New York State’s decision to buy women’s eggs for stem cell research will be felt long after reporters  move to another topic.    

Last month, the Empire State Stem Cell Board gave approval for state-funded researchers to purchase women’s eggs for embryonic stem cell research, offering women as much as $10,000.  That’s a lot of cash. 

And, it’s a lot of risk for women who subject their bodies to the egg donation process and its list of possible complications: blood clots, kidney and liver damage, future infertility and death.   

The lure of cold, hard cash for what’s perceived as a simple medical procedure will be attractive to many and, during tough economic times, more women may consider this as a way of paying their bills.  For young women and women facing of economic challenges, the offer of “cash for eggs” will be tempting. 

Women’s voices from both sides of the political (and abortion) spectrum have questioned egg donation for research based on the financial exploitation of the women involved.  For more on this question and other resources, see Egg Donation: Good Deed or Risky Venture?

Women aren’t the only ones exploited through this plan.  The eggs will be used for state-funded research to create living human embryos to be destroyed in the process of creating stem cell lines.  The eggs may also be fodder for human cloning experiements where – again – human embryos are created and killed in the name of scientific advancement. 

Only one member of the board – Rev. Thomas Berg – voted against payments for egg donors.  Fellow board member and egg purchase supporter Dr. Samuel Packer said of Berg, “At some point the dissenting voice can’t stop the progress of science or anything else in society.”

Apparently, even when the dissenting voice is right.  

The people of  New York need to pay attention to this misuse of their tax dollars.  And, they need to speak up.