THE ILLICIT TRADE IN FEMALE EGGS
Issues of fertility deserve serious attention
Since the trade in human organs and trafficking in human eggs and embryos are multibillion dollar businesses, it is little surprise that some unscrupulous Nigerians are deeply involved. And given the level of economic deprivation in the country, it is also no surprise that there are many willing customers. But the concerns raised by the University of Ibadan on how the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) ‘factories’ are being fed with eggs in a manner that has engendered the exploitation of female students deserve serious attention from critical stakeholders. Besides, the fact that there are recruiters for the increasing number of female students who engage in transactional egg donation is an indication of a criminal dimension to the challenge. That should interest the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
Pressure from society on childbearing pushes many of these couples to seek artificial reproductive assistance. And it is estimated that at least one in four Nigerian couples have one or more forms of fertility issues. With so many couples wanting children of their own, records reveal that female eggs are in high demand. So, there are legitimate reasons for egg donation. However, laws and policies are not being developed fast enough to meet the demands of this growing industry; a loophole that is now being exploited by quacks and even some otherwise known fertility clinics. Except Lagos which has passed a law on IVF, the remaining 35 states are yet to enact any legislation to regulate fertility medicine. Yet, in the Nigerian society, fertility is not just about health, it is a serious social issue that requires every attention it deserves.
The situation on many of our campuses regarding female egg ‘donors’ is an affront against humanity, and on our psyche and pride as a people. For years, there have been reports of some fertility clinics in the country harvesting eggs of young girls in exchange for money. There have also been stories of how many of these women are usually administered drugs that cause ovarian hyper stimulation in order to extract their eggs.
While the demand for IVF, commonly known as ‘test-tube conception’, remains high, especially among the elite, there is still a dearth of regulation for Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) in the country. For inexplicable reasons, this important health subsector has for long been overlooked by the government and experts in the field who should set standards. Yet, from human egg harvesting, IVF itself, up to advertorials on ART success rates, many practitioners in Nigeria are having a field day without much monitoring; all at the expense of patients who crave for these all-important public and social health services and many young women who use egg donation as ‘side hustle’.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advocated that no woman should have her eggs harvested more than twice a year. The health agency has also stated that egg harvesting, just like blood donation, must not be traded for financial gains. We are aware that some practitioners in Nigeria have formed the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health (AFRH) to produce ethical guidelines that would govern the practice of assisted conception in the country. But available reports indicate that these guidelines are being observed in the breach.
The sheer magnitude and sophistication of this human merchandising indicate that for any meaningful breakthrough to be achieved in the efforts to arrest it, collaborative attempts must be made by governments, non-governmental organisations, corporate bodies and even influential individuals. Critical stakeholders can no longer continue to watch from the sidelines while unscrupulous people classify our young women as commodities while exploiting their desperation and, sometimes, greed.
