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Body's Market: Selling Milk, Eggs & Wombs
13 Jul
Summary
- The fertility industry commodifies maternal biology for profit.
- Transactions include selling milk, eggs, and surrogacy services.
- It's a legal industry, unlike human organ trafficking.
Journalist Alev Scott embarked on an investigation into the global fertility industry, prompted by her personal experience with milk donation after childbirth.
Her research uncovered a complex online market where various aspects of maternal biology are commercialized. Scott highlights that the fertility industry is distinct, allowing personal biological traits to translate into financial gain.
Transactions include selling surplus breast milk, donating eggs, and surrogacy, all driven by the fundamental desire to have children. Professor Peter Frankopan described the exploration as an intimate and disturbing look into hidden markets.
Scott notes the legality of these practices, differentiating them from illicit trades like human organ trafficking. The industry facilitates commercial and sometimes altruistic exchanges, turning biological functions into quantifiable assets.
