'Gift with a price tag': Nigerian egg donors' knowledge, experiences and motivations

Research around the world has indicated that the demand for egg donation has grown considerably among young females. This study qualitatively examines the knowledge, experiences, and motivations of young egg donors at a Nigerian health facility. Indepth interviews were conducted in Igbo and English with consenting thirty-one egg donors attending a fertility clinic in Anambra State, south-eastern Nigeria. Data were collected and analysed to generate themes with the aid of NVivo 10 software. Three themes were identified from the participants' motivations and include (a) monetary (93.6%), (b) altruistic (3.2%), and (c) both monetary and altruistic reasons (3.2%). Findings highlighted that the differences were based on a variety of reasons in Nigeria. All the participants were literate and single, and the majority received payment. The majority (77.4%) of those who received payment mentioned that the payment was not worth the donation program. The participants preferred to be anonymous because they had not discussed their donation with their family members, and the non-acceptance of egg donation program by the Nigerian society. Given that the market for egg donation has become a common method of infertility management in Nigeria, our findings have important implications for practices, policy actions, and future research. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[6]:64-79).

Oxidative stress markers and lipid profiles of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVE: To determine the activities of oxidative stress markers and lipid profiles of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nigeria. METHODS: This was a nested case-control study consisting of 50 PCOS patients and 50 healthy women of the same age range without any evidence of PCOS. The study measured the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant capacity (TAC); concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) using standard spectrophotometric methods. Anthropometric indices were also assessed. P-values of <0.05 were taken to be statistically significant. RESULTS: There were significantly higher levels of MDA (P=0.002), lower activity of SOD (P<0.001), and lower TAC (P=0.001) in PCOS patients when compared with the controls. There were higher concentrations of TC (P=0.017) and LDL-C P=0.012) in PCOS patients than in controls. Significant differences were not observed between the 2 groups in terms of the activity of GSH-Px, as well as the concentrations of HDL-C and TG. The body mass index, waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio were all significantly higher in PCOS patients. CONCLUSION: This study revealed higher levels of MDA, as well as lower activity of SOD and TAC, among PCOS patients. Furthermore, there were higher levels of TC and LDL-C among the PCOS patients. Hence, monitoring these parameters may improve the clinical management of PCOS.