Comment posted on An Undercooked Egg: California’s New Oocyte Donation Statute Falls Woefully Short by Andrew Vorzimer
I largely agree with you Theresa. While at the Annual Meeting, I met with several ASRM officials imploring them to actually begin policing their members and non-members alike. As it stands now, the policing is non-existent. The ASRM needs to do more than just expelling members who flagrantly disregard their guidelines. They need to actively go after professionals and agencies who represent that they are ASRM compliant when they are neither members nor compliant. It is the ultimate form of false advertising as these professionals and agencies gain legitimacy from the ASRM imprimatur while ignoring the most basic of guidelines.
By the way, I did not see your press release. Do you have a link?
Andrew Vorzimer also commented
- Thank you for the kind words Amy and your thoughtful comment.
My experience with New York might be different than yours and Theresa’s. I have had a number of agencies and physicians complain about the arduous review process they experienced when applying for a New York license. In fact, I have had several clinics complain bitterly about physical audits performed by New York at the license application stage or random inspections that have been conducted during the year. While I agree the license renewal is largely perfunctory, the initial application process requires that the applicant provide considerable information – information which is unavailable in any other state.
What ultimately is impressive about New York is the unwillingness of physicians to work with an unlicensed agency. I think we all agree that ASRM has little or no policing at the moment (and this will likely not change in the short-term). The only real ability to affect change then in this industry is to have the ultimate gate-keepers, the doctors, refuse to work with non-compliant agencies. In this regard, the licensing requirements in New York has compelled physicians to be vigilant about what donor programs they work with.
Recent comments by Andrew Vorzimer
- Embryos “Donated” Without Consent Resulting In The Birth Hundreds Of Children
It is inconceivable to me Amy that they can have no documents at all reflecting the origins of the embryo. They certainly have maintained the statistics to show how many actual births occurred. But no documents reflecting the genetic “donors”? It doesn’t pass the smell test. - The Little Couple And Surrogacy
This has to be one of the most petty comments I have ever had the misfortune to read. I wish there was a way I could recover the few moments of my life I wasted having to read that drivel and reply to it. - Ohio Appellate Court Awards Custody Of Baby To Intended Mother Who Used Surrogate & Donor Gametes
The reasons span the spectrum. In one of the situations I handled, the couple initially decided to walk away due to health issues involving the baby. In another instance, the couple decided to abandon their twins because the Intended Mother could not deal with the fact that she was not biologically related. Another case involved a divorce.Coincidentally, your question was posed almost simultaneously with the publication of a story by the Times Online (http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/article7144878.ece) where it was reported that approximately 80 abortions each year in the UK are performed on women who became pregnant through IVF. Surprisingly, many of these abortions were purely elective and not for any medical reasons. So there is a much larger issue here that deserves consideration.
- Ohio Appellate Court Awards Custody Of Baby To Intended Mother Who Used Surrogate & Donor Gametes
Hi Amy,Absolutely, feel free to use the stats.
Andy
- John Travolta & Kelly Preston’s Pregnancy: Why Is This Anyone’s Business?
Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Amy. I am going to link it on the front page because the message is so powerful.
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Andrew, I agree that it is only a start, but take note that the requirements by New York are also very limited. In fact, I would not suggest that it be used as a model, but as a starting point. In fact, many points in your piece are valid, and we should continue to push in the direction of additional legislation to make these things happen. I actually addressed this in a press release yesterday noting that the loopholes need to be closed up, specifically the ASRM compliance, which is also not policied – just look how long it took for them to boot Dr. Octomom.
I largely agree with you Theresa. While at the Annual Meeting, I met with several ASRM officials imploring them to actually begin policing their members and non-members alike. As it stands now, the policing is non-existent. The ASRM needs to do more than just expelling members who flagrantly disregard their guidelines. They need to actively go after professionals and agencies who represent that they are ASRM compliant when they are neither members nor compliant. It is the ultimate form of false advertising as these professionals and agencies gain legitimacy from the ASRM imprimatur while ignoring the most basic of guidelines.
By the way, I did not see your press release. Do you have a link?
http://www.prweb.com/releases/eggdonation/lawyer/prweb3120394.htm
I echo Theresa Erickson’s concerns re: New York State Licensure of Egg Donation Agencies. I was surprised not only by the minimal standards to become so licensed but also by how easy it is to update one’s license as expiration approaches…a check (or other payment) is all that is needed to keep current a NY State License…hardly a process that offers protection to any of the parties in a collaborative reproduction effort.
Further, with respect to the language in this newly passed California legislation, I’m not sure how to interpret “certified compliance” w/ASRM standards.
Does “registration w/ASRM” mean membership? Maybe the drafters were intending to refer to the SART self-election process as “registration”?
I agree…there are problems with the language in this law…but yes, it is a start.
…and thanks, Andy, for your efforts at ASRM, much appreciated!!!
Thank you for the kind words Amy and your thoughtful comment.
My experience with New York might be different than yours and Theresa’s. I have had a number of agencies and physicians complain about the arduous review process they experienced when applying for a New York license. In fact, I have had several clinics complain bitterly about physical audits performed by New York at the license application stage or random inspections that have been conducted during the year. While I agree the license renewal is largely perfunctory, the initial application process requires that the applicant provide considerable information – information which is unavailable in any other state.
What ultimately is impressive about New York is the unwillingness of physicians to work with an unlicensed agency. I think we all agree that ASRM has little or no policing at the moment (and this will likely not change in the short-term). The only real ability to affect change then in this industry is to have the ultimate gate-keepers, the doctors, refuse to work with non-compliant agencies. In this regard, the licensing requirements in New York has compelled physicians to be vigilant about what donor programs they work with.
[...] we blogged about last week, California now requires that a warning appear in any advertisement soliciting egg donors. Today, a [...]
This website has a very interesting article on Oocyte Donation http://www.lucianonardo.com/news/285/oocyte-donation-for-optimal-pregnancy-outcomes/