The Good Egg
An Ovum Donor's Journey
By Erin Ploss-Campoamor

Broke but determined to become a filmmaker, Erin came across a newspaper ad offering $3,000 to women willing to donate some of their eggs to infertile couples. What started out as a way to finance her first film became an engaging and intimate journey through some of the difficult personal and ethical realities created by modern reproductive technology. The filmmaker documents her hormone treatments leading up to and including the surgical extraction of her eggs. She also interviews a number of other egg donors, the doctor who administered her treatment, various members of her family and others, to get a wide range of opinions on the issue of ovum donation. Some feel that donating her eggs is the greatest gift she could give to another person, while others — including some of her family members — feel that she and women like her are being exploited at the expense of their own health and fertility. Their conversations also explore ethical issues around the commercialization of egg donation: are there some aspects of life that simply should not have a monetary value attached to them.

While all of the donors interviewed are frank about their financial motivations, they also stress that what they went through would not have been worth the money if they had not also been interested in helping another woman to have a child. This touching production will be helpful in educating women who are considering donating their eggs about potential emotional and physical health risks they may face, but it will also be invaluable in introducing the general public to some of the human realities behind the headlines.

30 minutes
© 2003
Purchase $189.00 DVD
Order No. QA-391

Reviews
"I laud the film's artistry and inclusion of so much content. The film covers not just the medical process, but the emotional and ethical realizations women must consider as they think about becoming a donor." Roberta Valdez, University of California, Santa Cruz, Women's Center

"As one who has experienced many infertility treatments, I believe this film is very important and critical for egg donors." Lisa Huston, National Infertility Awareness Organization, Ohio Chapter

"A well-balanced approach to the pros and cons of egg donation. Provides a very real portrayal of the complexities involved. Recommended for college libraries with disciplines in health sciences, and for public libraries." Educational Media Reviews

"An excellent job of showing the issues involved." Rebecca Mead, author, Eggs for Sale

Awards & Conference Screenings
Platinum Remi Award, WorldFest Houston
Best of Festival Award, Berkeley Film & Video Festival

Related Films
All in One Basket: Follows three women through the process of paid egg donation, to explore ethical questions about the use of hormones, genetic selection for preferred physical traits, the role of money in reproductive medicine, and informed consent.

Period Piece: A humorous but penetrating celebration of menarche, the first menstrual period, featuring comments and recollections from women 8 to 84, from various backgrounds.

Menopause: Examines the myths and misconceptions about menopause as well as its realities; both conventional and alternative therapies are discussed.

To rent or purchase this film, please visit the Icarus Films website

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