As barriers to adoption increase, egg donation is becoming a more popular option for couples who are unable to use their own eggs. Because it is illegal to pay for eggs in Canada, it is often difficult for a woman to find a donor, so they head to the U.S. Many of the egg banks do not yet offer open ID donor programs and this causes a bit of an ethical dilemma. Should these individuals, desperate for a child, and without other options, not proceed with what is often the most accessible and affordable means of getting a donated egg because their hypothetical child may want to know the identity of his or her biological mother?

A recent segment on The National may have left the impression that purchasing donor eggs that have been shipped to Canada from the U.S. is illegal. I respectfully disagree, but I continue to be concerned that potential clients who engage in such a transaction could open themselves up to an investigation or to criminal charges.