The following is a summary of “When elective egg freezers become egg donors: practical and ethical issues,” published in the July 2023 issue of Reproductive BioMedicine Online by Pennings et al.

Many individuals anticipate that unused and unwanted eggs frozen for self-use by women could be used to alleviate the shortage of donor eggs. Nonetheless, several practical (additional screening and counseling) and ethical (informed consent and reimbursement) concerns may diminish this optimism. 

This paper also considers whether elective egg freezers who wish to donate their eggs should be reimbursed for the IVF cycle and storage costs they have incurred. It is argued that a partial reimbursement for the collection (hormonal stimulation and retrieval) is morally acceptable because it is limited to proven expenses (and therefore does not violate the altruism rule) and because the beneficiaries should contribute to the costs of a program from which they benefit. 

The egg freezer should pay the storage charge, and no compensation should be given for effort, time, or inconvenience. This agreement is advantageous for both donors and recipients.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1472648323002067