Sacrifice and solicitation: an empirical ethics study of egg provider blogs

Egg providers have the right to complete and accurate information about egg donation before deciding to donate. Many seek information beyond clinics and agencies, relying on fertility clinic or agency websites and testimonials of (former) egg providers. While several studies have examined fertility clinic websites, online narratives from experienced egg providers remain largely unexplored. This study analyzes how egg providers narrate their experiences in online blogs.

A systematic online search was conducted between August 2021 and September 2023 to identify blogs written by egg providers and published independently from clinics and agencies. This resulted in 23 blogs that were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis combined with interdisciplinary collaborative auditing.

The bloggers contributed to the creation of a community where (prospective) egg providers could inform and support each other. Comparable to travel guides that provide comprehensive repositories of information, the bloggers encouraged their readers interested in egg donation to further explore and consider the option with informed awareness of the possible risks and negative outcomes and to advocate for themselves. Decisions to stop donating were detailed with extensive thought and explanation, while decisions to donate again were described as the default choice.

In providing information about egg donation and encouraging others to donate, the bloggers often took on the role of peer recruiters. Bloggers' lived experiences provide insights often missing from clinical sources, complementing medical facts with the everyday, embodied realities of egg donation. However, the blogs also showed patterns that reflect the notion of gendered altruism, where egg providers feel a deep, sometimes self-sacrificial, responsibility to intended parents lived experiences provide inrents. Given that the bloggers actively encouraged their readers to donate, the notion of complicity warrants further examination in this context.