Women’s eggs cost more than sperm at fertility clinics. Unlike other cells in the body, eggs cannot regenerate.
From birth, a girl is born with up to two million oocytes, and the number keeps decreasing by age until she reaches menopause.
An oocyte is an immature ovum, or egg cell, that is formed in a baby girl’s ovaries before she is born (while still in the mother’s womb).
Unlike other cells in the body, eggs cannot regenerate. The likelihood of a female conceiving is determined by the quantity and quality of their eggs. A woman is most fertile in her mid-20s, making this the ideal age for egg donation.
Dr Kireki Omanwa, a fertility specialist and the President of the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society, explains that donor gametes can come from two main sources: anonymous or known donors.
Anonymous donation involves sperm or eggs from someone completely unrelated and unknown to the couple. In contrast, non-anonymous or known donations could involve a sibling, cousin, or even a close friend.
“Both options have their pros and cons. When it’s someone close to the family, the baby born will have a genetic connection to the couple, which some people like. But this also raises social, ethical, and even legal concerns. A donor could later turn around and say, ‘This is my baby,’ and genetic testing would prove it,” Dr Omwanwa said.
With an anonymous donation, however, there is no such genetic or social entanglement. “Only the couple and the doctor facilitating the process know about it,” he adds.
Medical risk
One of the issues that puzzles many people is why donor eggs seem so much more ‘expensive’ compared to donor sperm. The answer, according to Dr Omanwa, lies in the procedure itself.
“Egg donation is invasive, and a woman has to undergo ovarian stimulation, theatre procedures, and anaesthesia. This comes with risks, from discomfort and pain afterwards to the need for medication. For men, however, sperm donation is completely non-invasive,” he said.
This difference in medical risk and procedure intensity largely explains why egg donors are compensated more than sperm donors. But, as Dr Omanwa points out, this is not about ‘buying and selling’ eggs and sperm.
“In Kenya, we don’t have a law that regulates assisted reproductive technology (ART). We operate with guidelines and ethical considerations. Donors receive a token of appreciation for the inconvenience, not a price tag for their eggs or sperm.”
Another factor influencing cost is availability or lack thereof. In many European countries, cryobanks freeze eggs and sperm, creating a library of donor profiles.
President of the Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society Dr Kireki Omanwa.
A cryobank is a facility that collects and stores biological materials, such as donor sperm, eggs, embryos, and stem cells, at extremely low temperatures (typically -196°C) in liquid nitrogen tanks to preserve them for future use.
Couples can scroll through options online, selecting based on physical resemblance or other traits, and then pay for a batch of eggs or sperm.
“In those countries, it is acceptable to sell gametes but in Kenya, we don’t have that system. Each donation is specific to a particular couple. So if a donor produces 10 or 15 eggs, they are all reserved for that couple. There are no leftovers to pass on to someone else later,” he said.
Sperm, by contrast, is abundant and easy to collect, so the dynamics are entirely different. The scarcity of eggs, combined with the invasive process of retrieving them, naturally pushes costs higher.
Many people assume the higher compensation for egg donors is rooted in gender bias or cultural perceptions of motherhood and fatherhood but Dr Omanwa disagrees with the argument by saying culturally it should not play a role.
“Some argue it’s discriminatory for egg donors to get more compensation than sperm donors. But the reality is that it reflects the medical risks involved. It’s not about motherhood being valued over fatherhood,” he said.
For couples undergoing treatment locally, the financial difference becomes apparent when donor eggs are used.
“Using donor eggs is slightly more expensive than using your own. That’s because of the technicalities involved. When donor eggs are used, embryos must first be created in the lab, and then the intended mother’s body has to be prepared to receive them. That’s two separate procedures. With your own eggs, it’s just one procedure.”
On the other hand, donor sperm adds far less complexity. It integrates more seamlessly into standard fertility treatments, meaning lower additional costs compared to egg donation.
Asked whether technology could narrow the gap, Dr Omwanwa believes that advances in reproductive technology could help narrow the cost difference, but only if certain systemic challenges are addressed.
“The real drivers of cost are supply issues, medications, and consumables. If the government supported local production of fertility medications, for instance, the cost could be cut by half. That would make treatment far more accessible for couples struggling with infertility,” he adds.
