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As the worsening economy drains bank accounts and zaps jobs, the number of people willing to offer their eggs or sperm for cash to infertile couples desperate for a child is swelling in the Bay State, donor agencies said.

“We’re seeing more donor applications because people are looking at more creative ways to get money,” said attorney Sanford M. Benardo, founder and president of Northeast Assisted Fertility Group in Boston and New York.

Benardo said the egg donation and surrogacy agency has seen applications from potential egg donors double from 50 applications to 100 applications weekly in recent months. The agency pays female donors a flat rate of $10,000 after a woman’s eggs are retrieved.

Cash-strapped donors should not get their hopes up too much: The screening for sperm and egg donors weeds out all but a tiny fraction of candidates and the donation process is marked by long time commitments and inconveniences. “The take-away message is it’s not a fast and easy route to $10,000,” Bernardo said.

The egg donor screening process takes into account a woman’s age, height...