Schoolgirls in China paid large sums to donate eggs to infertile couples on black market
Young women are undergoing intensive procedures in exchange for tens of thousands of yuan - but could end up infertile, medical experts warn
Health experts have called for government regulation to halt the black market trade in women's eggs, following a report on the practice by state broadcaster CCTV yesterday.
The sellers - some still in high school - were being paid tens of thousands of yuan for their eggs by agencies acting on behalf of infertile couples but were being misled about the risks of the drug therapy involved, the report said.
"The girls we target are all around 20 years old, because that's the age when women's eggs are best," one agency representative told CCTV.
Retrieving the eggs required only drug therapy and minimally invasive surgery across about 20 days, agencies told the women. They could earn between 30,000 (HK$37,910) and 100,000 yuan for a successful retrieval, depending on appearance and education level, CCTV said.
The women were told: "You guys can earn tens of thousands of yuan each time, so why not?"
Mainland law prohibits compensating women for their eggs, although they can donate them up to three times.
Medical experts warned the procedure carried risks.
