Recent discussion of stem cell research has noted the large number of human eggs or oocytes necessary for work on somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), the method most likely to overcome the immune-rejection problem of cell transplants. Where are the eggs required for this research to come from? The process of oocyte extraction involves hyper-stimulation of the ovaries, a lengthy, uncomfortable and potentially risky procedure typically undergone by  women attempting IVF. Eggs from infertility clinics alone are unlikely to meet research demands, leading to pressure on healthy women to sell their eggs.

Ethical concerns about the buying and selling ("commodification") of human tissues has led to the widespread conclusion that women should be reimbursed only for "direct expenses," e.g., the time or costs of the medical procedure itself. Some have gone as far as proposing a ban on the sale of eggs altogether; others argue in favor of a regulated market for human eggs.

Our objective will be to analyze and access David Resnik's provocative argument in favor of a human egg market in the reading "Regulating the Market for Human Eggs."

1. What is Resnik's rationale for "human oocyte commerce"?
   
   
2. How good is his argument?
   
   
3. Scientists want international guidelines in this area.  Should Resnik's recommendations be accepted?  And if not, what ethical/regulatory framework would we recommend instead?