This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
May 10, 2021 ¶
LaFemme Healthcare Clinic in Nairobi's Adams Arcade ran an advert in January 2020 to recruit voluntary human egg donors, increasing its pool as clients sought more options.
Previously, egg donors were picked by word-of-mouth, narrowing the options presented to clients.
Dr. George Thuo, the founder of LaFemme, says they received 4,700 responses and faced backlash from Kenyans.
According to Dr. Thuo, several reasons necessitate gamete donation, including couples unable to produce their own gametes due to primary or secondary infertility problems, and single women wanting to have children.
Eligible female donors in Kenya must be aged between 18 and 25 years, as the quality and quantity of eggs they produce are high.
Dr. Wanjiru Ndegwa-Njuguna, an obstetrics and gynaecologist at Footsteps to Fertility in Nairobi, says egg donations are done on demand, with clients selecting from a database of profiles.
However, clinics may also harvest gametes from donors with unique characteristics, such as exceptional physical features or high IQ, in anticipation of a buying client.
In Kenya, women are compensated between Sh30,000 and Sh50,000 per donation cycle, while buyers pay about Sh535,250 for the eggs.
Men are compensated between Sh3,000 to Sh10,000 per vial of semen, with higher compensation for donors with striking characteristics.
Some clinics store gametes and embryos for future use, earning millions of shillings in revenue from storage costs.
Dr. Wanjiru notes an increase in women freezing their eggs for personal purposes, such as advancing their careers or delaying motherhood.
These women often belong to the upper echelons of society and can afford the process, which costs Sh300,000 to Sh400,000.
