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The price of an egg: oocyte donor compensation in the US fertility industry.
- Source :
- New Genetics & Society; Dec2017, Vol. 36 Issue 4, p354-374, 21p, 2 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Market-based health services have arisen out of major transformations in US healthcare in the last several decades. This study addresses pricing in the human egg donation market – an under-explored topic despite substantial scholarship on commodification and financial coercion of donors. Through analysis of primary data collected from 276 US fertility clinics and egg donation agencies, I assess what impacts average donor compensation and likelihood of compensation being more than $5000. Drawing on theories of organizational behavior, I test whether organizational characteristics, ecological factors, or regulatory pressure have the greatest impact on donor compensation amounts. I find that compensation is influenced primarily by ecological/market factors. Furthermore, industry self-regulation (measured by professional affiliation) did not deter clinics and agencies from having higher donor compensation levels, despite American Society for Reproduction Medicine recommendations. I conclude by addressing the broader implications of these findings for medical market dynamics and the problem of industry self-regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14636778
- Volume :
- 36
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- New Genetics & Society
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 126327970
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/14636778.2017.1389262