Eggs for assisted reproduction
The first “test-tube baby” was born in England in 1978, and since that time this and other assisted reproductive techniques have become widespread throughout the world. Some countries prohibit all or most assisted reproduction practices, notably those that involve the creation and destruction of human embryos. Other countries permit and regulate these practices, but prohibit payment for women’s eggs used in the procedure beyond reimbursement for specified reasonable costs. At the present time no countries explicitly sanction the commercial sale of eggs for assisted reproduction, although in some countries the lack of regulatory oversight has allowed this practice to flourish.
Table: National policies
The Table shows policies currently in effect regarding the use of women’s eggs for assisted reproduction purposes.
Key
- PROHIBITED: This practice is prohibited by national law or policies having the force of law.
- commercial prohibited: Commercial use of this practice is prohibited by national law or policies having the force of law, but non-commercial use is allowed.
- commercial allowed: Commercial use of this practice is allowed by national law or policies having the force of law.
- permitted: This practice is allowed by national law or policies having the force of law, but policies concerning compensation are unknown.
- no policy: This practice is not addressed by national law or policies having the force of law.
- ?: It is unknown whether this practice is addressed by national law or policies having the force of law.
Note: The categories defined in the key and used in the table characterize the polices in any given country in a broad manner. Consult the page for each country for more detailed accounts of current policies.
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Region | Population | Eggs for assisted reproduction | |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | Asia | 31,889,923 | ? |
Albania | Europe | 3,600,523 | ? |
Algeria | Africa | 38,481,705 | PROHIBITED |
Andorra | Europe | 71,822 | ? |
Angola | Africa | 15,941,000 | ? |
Antigua and Barbuda | Latin America | 82,786 | ? |
Argentina | Latin America | 40,301,927 | permitted |
Armenia | Asia | 3,229,900 | permitted |
Australia | Oceania | 21,260,000 | commercial prohibited |
Austria | Europe | 8,316,487 | PROHIBITED |
Azerbaijan | Asia | 8,653,000 | ? |
Bahamas | Latin America | 330,549 | ? |
Bahrain | Asia | 1,046,814 | PROHIBITED |
Bangladesh | Asia | 150,448,340 | ? |
Barbados | Latin America | 279,000 | ? |
Belarus | Europe | 9,689,800 | permitted |
Belgium | Europe | 10,584,534 | commercial prohibited |
Belize | Latin America | 314,275 | ? |
Benin | Africa | 8,439,000 | ? |
Bhutan | Asia | 672,425 | ? |
Bolivia | Latin America | 9,119,152 | ? |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 3,981,239 | ? |
Botswana | Africa | 1,639,833 | ? |
Brazil | Latin America | 186,757,608 | commercial prohibited |
Brunei | Asia | 391,450 | ? |
Bulgaria | Europe | 7,933,000 | commercial prohibited |
Burkina Faso | Africa | 13,228,000 | ? |
Burundi | Africa | 7,548,000 | ? |
Cambodia | Asia | 13,971,000 | ? |
Cameroon | Africa | 17,795,000 | ? |
Canada | Northern America | 33,255,000 | commercial prohibited |
Cape Verde | Africa | 499,796 | ? |
Central African Republic | Africa | 4,216,666 | ? |
Chad | Africa | 10,780,600 | ? |
Chile | Latin America | 16,598,074 | no policy |
China | Asia | 1,321,851,888 | commercial prohibited |
Colombia | Latin America | 44,087,000 | permitted |
Comoros | Africa | 798,000 | ? |
Cook Islands | Oceania | 18,700 | ? |
Costa Rica | Latin America | 4,133,884 | PROHIBITED |
Croatia | Europe | 4,453,500 | permitted |
Cuba | Latin America | 11,394,043 | permitted |
Cyprus | Asia | 788,457 | ? |
Czech Republic | Europe | 10,381,130 | commercial prohibited |
Côte d'Ivoire | Africa | 18,013,409 | ? |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | Africa | 62,600,000 | ? |
Denmark | Europe | 5,475,791 | commercial allowed |
Djibouti | Africa | 496,374 | ? |
Dominica | Latin America | 71,727 | ? |
Dominican Republic | Latin America | 9,760,000 | ? |
Ecuador | Latin America | 13,755,680 | no policy |
Egypt | Africa | 80,335,036 | PROHIBITED |
El Salvador | Latin America | 6,600,000 | ? |
Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 504,000 | ? |
Eritrea | Africa | 4,401,009 | ? |
Estonia | Europe | 1,340,602 | commercial prohibited |
Ethiopia | Africa | 75,067,000 | ? |
Fiji | Oceania | 853,445 | ? |
Finland | Europe | 5,308,208 | commercial prohibited |
France | Europe | 64,473,140 | commercial allowed |
Gabon | Africa | 1,454,867 | ? |
Gambia | Africa | 1,700,000 | ? |
Georgia | Asia | 4,661,473 | ? |
Germany | Europe | 82,210,000 | PROHIBITED |
Ghana | Africa | 23,000,000 | ? |
Greece | Europe | 11,216,708 | commercial prohibited |
Grenada | Latin America | 110,000 | ? |
Guatemala | Latin America | 13,000,000 | ? |
Guinea | Africa | 9,402,000 | ? |
Guinea-Bissau | Africa | 1,586,000 | ? |
Guyana | Latin America | 751,000 | ? |
Haiti | Latin America | 8,706,497 | ? |
Honduras | Latin America | 7,483,763 | ? |
Hong Kong | Asia | 7,234,800 | PROHIBITED |
Hungary | Europe | 10,053,000 | commercial allowed |
Iceland | Europe | 316,252 | permitted |
India | Asia | 1,132,446,000 | no policy |
Indonesia | Asia | 234,693,997 | ? |
Iran | Asia | 71,208,000 | ? |
Iraq | Asia | 29,267,000 | ? |
Ireland | Europe | 6,000,000 | commercial prohibited |
Israel | Asia | 7,282,000 | commercial prohibited |
Italy | Europe | 59,448,163 | PROHIBITED |
Jamaica | Latin America | 2,651,000 | no policy |
Japan | Asia | 127,433,494 | PROHIBITED |
Jordan | Asia | 6,053,193 | PROHIBITED |
Kazakhstan | Asia | 15,217,711 | ? |
Kenya | Africa | 34,707,800 | ? |
Kiribati | Oceania | 103,500 | ? |
Kosovo | Asia | 1,859,203 | ? |
Kuwait | Asia | 2,390,543 | ? |
Kyrgyzstan | Asia | 5,264,000 | ? |
Laos | Asia | 6,521,998 | ? |
Latvia | Europe | 2,270,700 | permitted |
Lebanon | Asia | 4,196,453 | PROHIBITED |
Lesotho | Africa | 1,795,000 | ? |
Liberia | Africa | 3,386,000 | ? |
Libya | Africa | 6,173,579 | PROHIBITED |
Liechtenstein | Europe | 35,365 | ? |
Lithuania | Europe | 3,369,600 | PROHIBITED |
Luxembourg | Europe | 480,222 | ? |
Macedonia | Europe | 2,038,514 | permitted |
Madagascar | Africa | 19,448,815 | ? |
Malawi | Africa | 12,884,000 | ? |
Malaysia | Asia | 27,496,000 | commercial prohibited |
Maldives | Asia | 300,000 | PROHIBITED |
Mali | Africa | 11,995,402 | ? |
Malta | Europe | 402,000 | ? |
Marshall Islands | Oceania | 61,963 | ? |
Mauritania | Africa | 3,069,000 | ? |
Mauritius | Africa | 1,256,739 | PROHIBITED |
Mexico | Latin America | 108,700,891 | no policy |
Micronesia | Oceania | 107,862 | ? |
Moldova | Europe | 4,128,047 | ? |
Monaco | Europe | 32,671 | ? |
Mongolia | Asia | 2,951,786 | ? |
Montenegro | Europe | 684,736 | commercial prohibited |
Morocco | Africa | 33,757,175 | PROHIBITED |
Mozambique | Africa | 21,397,000 | ? |
Myanmar | Asia | 55,390,000 | ? |
Namibia | Africa | 1,820,916 | ? |
Nauru | Oceania | 9,275 | ? |
Nepal | Asia | 28,901,790 | ? |
Netherlands | Europe | 16,408,557 | commercial prohibited |
New Zealand | Oceania | 4,252,000 | commercial prohibited |
Nicaragua | Latin America | 5,603,000 | ? |
Niger | Africa | 13,957,000 | ? |
Nigeria | Africa | 148,000,000 | ? |
North Korea | Asia | 23,301,725 | ? |
Norway | Europe | 4,752,735 | PROHIBITED |
Oman | Asia | 3,204,897 | PROHIBITED |
Pakistan | Asia | 169,300,000 | ? |
Palau | Oceania | 20,842 | ? |
Palestine | Asia | 4,550,368 | ? |
Panama | Latin America | 3,320,000 | ? |
Papua New Guinea | Oceania | 6,300,000 | ? |
Paraguay | Latin America | 6,158,000 | ? |
Peru | Latin America | 28,674,757 | no policy |
Philippines | Asia | 90,500,000 | PROHIBITED |
Poland | Europe | 38,518,241 | ? |
Portugal | Europe | 10,848,692 | permitted |
Qatar | Asia | 907,229 | PROHIBITED |
Republic of the Congo | Africa | 3,999,000 | ? |
Romania | Europe | 22,246,862 | commercial prohibited |
Russia | Europe | 142,008,838 | commercial allowed |
Rwanda | Africa | 10,186,063 | ? |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Latin America | 42,696 | ? |
Saint Lucia | Latin America | 160,765 | ? |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Latin America | 110,000 | ? |
Samoa | Oceania | 214,265 | ? |
San Marino | Europe | 29,615 | ? |
Saudi Arabia | Asia | 27,601,038 | PROHIBITED |
Senegal | Africa | 11,658,000 | ? |
Serbia | Europe | 10,150,265 | permitted |
Seychelles | Africa | 80,699 | ? |
Sierra Leone | Africa | 5,900,000 | ? |
Singapore | Asia | 4,680,600 | commercial prohibited |
Slovakia | Europe | 5,447,502 | permitted |
Slovenia | Europe | 2,023,358 | commercial prohibited |
Solomon Islands | Oceania | 552,438 | ? |
Somalia | Africa | 9,558,666 | ? |
South Africa | Africa | 43,700,000 | commercial prohibited |
South Korea | Asia | 49,044,790 | commercial prohibited |
South Sudan | Africa | 8,260,490 | ? |
Spain | Europe | 45,200,737 | commercial prohibited |
Sri Lanka | Asia | 19,668,000 | permitted |
Sudan | Africa | 39,379,358 | ? |
Suriname | Latin America | 470,784 | ? |
Swaziland | Africa | 1,032,000 | ? |
Sweden | Europe | 9,182,927 | commercial prohibited |
Switzerland | Europe | 7,591,400 | PROHIBITED |
Syria | Asia | 19,405,000 | PROHIBITED |
São Tomé and Príncipe | Africa | 157,000 | ? |
Taiwan | Asia | 22,911,000 | commercial prohibited |
Tajikistan | Asia | 6,920,300 | PROHIBITED |
Tanzania | Africa | 37,849,133 | ? |
Thailand | Asia | 63,038,247 | commercial prohibited |
Timor-Leste | Asia | 1,115,000 | ? |
Togo | Africa | 5,700,000 | ? |
Tonga | Oceania | 112,000 | ? |
Trinidad and Tobago | Latin America | 1,305,000 | ? |
Tunisia | Africa | 10,102,000 | PROHIBITED |
Turkey | Asia | 70,586,256 | PROHIBITED |
Turkmenistan | Asia | 5,110,023 | ? |
Tuvalu | Oceania | 11,992 | ? |
Uganda | Africa | 30,900,000 | ? |
Ukraine | Europe | 46,372,700 | permitted |
United Arab Emirates | Asia | 46,372,700 | PROHIBITED |
United Kingdom | Europe | 60,587,300 | commercial prohibited |
United States | |||
Uruguay | Latin America | 3,460,607 | commercial prohibited |
Uzbekistan | Asia | 26,593,000 | ? |
Vanuatu | Oceania | 209,000 | ? |
Venezuela | Latin America | 28,199,822 | no policy |
Vietnam | Asia | 87,375,000 | commercial prohibited |
Yemen | Africa | 23,013,376 | PROHIBITED |
Zambia | Africa | 11,668,000 | ? |
Zimbabwe | Africa | 13,010,000 | ? |