Asian Women Command Premium Prices for Egg Donation in U.S.

It's technically called an egg "donation." But if you're a young Asian woman, donating your eggs to an infertile couple can fetch enough cash to buy a used car or perhaps a semester at college.

The same market forces that drive the price of cotton, copper and other commodities — supply and demand — have allowed Asian women to command about $10,000 to $20,000 for their eggs, also known as gametes or ova.

Women of other ethnic groups typically get about $6,000 when they can sell their eggs, but they often can't for lack of demand, according to donation agencies and fertility clinics.

Clinic operators say the premium paid to Asian women reflects the shortage of willing donors for the growing numbers of infertile Asian couples who want a child who looks like they do. But the competition among these clinics — including ads screaming "ASIAN EGG DONORS NEEDED" in college newspapers — has spotlighted the commercial aspects of what is supposed to be an act of benevolence.

Federal law bans the sale of human organs, but selling eggs is...