Egg Donation - Preferences

I feel the same way as @RavingStone and @SamuelDJackson. I have such a strong sense of ethical foreboding in the idea of donating eggs. I think it is based on my experience of at least 2 adopted members of my family who have found not knowing their biological parents traumatic in a way that carried into their entire adult lives. There are so many considerations that I think on balance it isn't an ethical thing to do. You might be "helping" at one stage of the process of a life creation, but the chain of events this initiates can be long. I really do think kids need their parents.

Why are you considering donating OP?
Just curious as to why it is something you are contemplating when you do not agree with certain aspects of possible use of your eggs?
You don't say whether you have children yourself, are planning egg freezing, or are undergoing IVF and being given an incentive to donate, or are considering this as an altruistic de novo donation. Obviously you don't owe a random internet forum any explanation but your current situation might make a difference to how you feel in the future about a donation

I would suggest that if you are in any doubt, do not freely give your genetic material (gamete donation) into a situation where you do not have control over how it might be used.
Think about how you might feel about having biological offspring that you have no contact with and not be involved in the conception, development and circumstances of their birth. It may be an altruistic donation and allow the recipients of the eggs to bear a child (to raise or as a surrogate pregnancy for someone else) but unlike blood and organ donation, this altruism does not save lives, it simply creates them, and as a previous poster has said, may create problems for them as well.
Considering the topic I opted not to donate eggs as I would find it difficult knowing I had genetic children with fathers I had never met, or that my eggs were used to create a higher risk pregnancy in someone else, As well as this , the idea that if I perhaps did not manage to have my own children as hoped, it would be hard knowing that I had undergone egg harvesting for the benefit of others, to the potential detriment of my own fertility. As well as this, though it is described as an altruistic act I realized would feel responsible for the children born of any donation I made, as my choices would have led to their situations in life, and I would feel guilty if they were born into difficult and sub optimal situations

This isn't true. You can ask and they can give limited information. I know mine have been donated to a hetero couple. I was contacted and asked to come in for another genetic test as the male partner was a carried of a recessive disease. I was also given the option not to allow donation to them.

They will also tell you how many families your eggs have helped create if any, and whether the babies born were boys or girls and the year they were born. If you have any eggs or embryos in storage.

When I donated I was asked if I had any objections to my eggs being donated to same sex couples and smokers and a few other things. I don't recall surrogacy being one of the questions but I reckon you could specify that preference.

That blog is really interesting.
OP do you mind if I ask if you have kids already? I guess I'm interested as to how attitudes to egg donation change (or not) depending on this.

It is so different from organ or blood donation though. Organ and blood donations save lives. Including lives of people you'd politically disagree with.

Egg donation gives the potential to create a life were previously there was no potential. Even to women you'd politically disagree with.

Egg donation through surrogacy - regardless of the sex of the "intended" parents - gives the potential to create a life knowing that if the life is created, it will experience a trauma straight away. A trauma that by definition will be dismissed by the "intended" parents because if they understood the nature of the trauma they wouldn't be going ahead with surrogacy.

Knowingly causing trauma to a baby seems a whole jump on from saving somebody's life.

Withholding eggs from surrogacy "discriminates against gay couples" as much as me donating blood discrimates against those of a different blood group who cannot receive it. Unless women are viewed as a service class that men have entitlement to use.

A family member donated eggs. It was made quite clear that the donation is without strings, i.e. you cannot dictate under what circumstances are used, same as blood/organ donation.

I don't believe you can choose OP.
Because...discrimination.

Here's a blog that explains.

stopsurrogacynowuk.org/2021/08/20/egg-donation-and-surrogacy-guest-post-from-kat-howard-radfem_kath-short-read/

That’s not quite true. You can specify recipients.

No you can't.
Just like when you donate blood you have no say how or by whom its used once the donation is made.
Basically you will know nothing about who uses your eggs until you are contacted by your biological offspring after they turn 18