REACH's Dr. Nancy Teaff featured on Fox Charlotte: EGG-onomical Answers

WCCB-TV 14, Charlotte, NC

by Morgan Fogarty

November 12, 2008

It took 24 year old "Carmen" an entire year to decide that she wanted to donate her eggs. She says, "I heard it on a radio and then I thought about it for a long time and then I called."

Carmen was inspired by family members who had trouble conceiving, but the money she got for her eggs didn't hurt, either. The first time Carmen donated, she pocketed $4,000. But Carmen says, "I wouldn't do it for the money. It's not the money. It helps, but it's not the money. That is not the reason I do it." But for other women, money seems to be one of the main reasons to donate eggs, especially given the current economy.

Egg donor applications have recently doubled at Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte or "REACH." Pat Buetow, the egg donor coordinator at REACH, says the increase in applications has forced her to bring on additional staff. "We get so many requests at this point that I actually have someone else that's actually doing that [handling applications]."

Egg donation may be lucrative, but it is not the way to make a quick buck. Applicant screening takes two to three months and includes physical and mental evaluations. It takes at least another month to match a donor to a recipient. And then it takes at least another six weeks to coordinate ovulation cycles between the donor and the recipient. Buetow says, "The process is lengthy, part of it is to weed out some people who think that [it's quick]."

Dr. Nancy Teaff, a reproductive specialist with 20 years experience reiterates, "It's not that simple as just, 'Oh, take some medication, give my eggs, get a check.' " Teaff also points out: just because there's been an increase in egg donor applicants, doesn't necessarily mean an increase in qualified applicants. She says. "I hope we get more people calling because there's always been a need for donors, but the screening process is what makes it ethical and right."

Carmen, meanwhile, has donated her eggs three times. That's $12,000 in her pocket, and she's already been matched with a fourth couple. Like everyone, she's impacted by the tough economy and grateful for the extra cash, but she's got a message for would-be donors: "I warn them not to do it for the money. That's not the reason I do it."

SOURCE: Fox Charlotte