As they asked more and more about my background without specifying much about what the donation process might entail, I began to get a little spooked. I’d been a regular blood donor, and even that had come with a wealth of warnings. Before going further, I turned to other resources to learn about the medical implications of egg donation. What I found convinced me that no amount of financial compensation was worth the risk.

The egg donation market is absolutely booming. While many of its critics focus on the eugenic creepiness of specifying your future baby’s hair color or the middling success rates of IVF in general, there’s an even darker side for the donors themselves. Most egg donation companies target young women, especially those struggling with income, focusing heavily on the financial benefits rather than the medical and psychological risks involved for the donor.

[Remember that things that look too good to be true usually are. That’s a tough perspective to have at the age these campaigns target, though — and that’s the point. — Ed]