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This "market" is located in alley A1 on Cong Quynh Road, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1. A1 alley is widely known as the "infertile alley" or “alley of pregnant women” because many infertile couples rent inns here to live during their treatment of infertility at Tu Du Hospital.
There are 4-5 women in the alley who are both the landlords and intermediaries for the sperm and egg trade and seeking surrogate mothers for anyone in need.
One of these women is Ms. Ngoc, around 50 years old.
Ngoc told a Tuoi Tre reporter, who played the role of a woman who was seeking for a surrogate mother: "If you have to find a surrogate mother, I’ll help you. Although it is a bit hard to find one, but I will find people in the countryside for you."
She said the two sides would discuss about the price and told the “customer” to keep it secret. "It is extremely confidential because surrogacy is prohibited by law," Ngoc said.
She instructed: "The surrogate mother must pretend to be your husband's wife and they have to go to the hospital to perform necessary procedures. When she is pregnant, you have to bring her home or rent a room for her. You also have to hire someone to take care of her because she carries your child. You have to take care of her for nine months and ten days, until she gives birth. It will take time and money."
The woman also said that she would help seek an egg seller for the reporter. She advised the customer to invite the egg seller to live together to take care of her and to improve her health to obtain good eggs.
She then introduced an egg seller named Nhi, 28, to the reporter. Nhi said she had two children and "because of difficulties” she had to sell her eggs. She offered the price of VND14-15 million ($700).
As the reporter hesitated, Ngoc introduced another egg seller, named An, 19 only. An said she sold noodles on Cong Quynh road. This time Ngoc asked for VND15-16 million ($750) because An is younger than Nhi.
Another woman in A1 alley, named Thao, was willing to introduce a sperm seller to the reporter. She said that is a young, healthy man who was married and had children.
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| Ngoc (left) – an egg intermediary – tells a customer about the health and personal purity of the egg seller. Photo Tuoitre |
The reporter said she wanted to find a man with good sperms, Thao said that it is unimportant because the customer would have to use the sperms of another man, not the man she chooses if she takes him to the hospital’s sperm bank.
However, she suggested the customer to visit doctor C. This doctor will help take sperms of the selected man for insemination. Thao said that the price for sperms is only VND10 million ($500) while it is VND20-25 million ($1,000-1,200) for eggs.
This woman suggested making a fake ID to turn the sperm or egg seller into the husband of the wife of the customer. The price for such a fake ID is only VND2 million ($100).
The reporter saw the third intermediary named Nga, who arranged a meeting with the sperm seller at her home. This man is named Chau, 33, from District 8. Chau went to the meeting with a woman, who was introduced as his wife. He also showed the picture of a boy on his cell phone as his son. Chau agreed to sign a commitment to not claim the baby after the customer pays.
At Tu Du Hospital, which is very famous for infertility treatment in Vietnam, reporters found small ads of the so-called “Association of sperm donating students.” Making a phone call to the contact in the advertisement, a man named Thuong made an appointment the next day.
At the meeting, Thuong called himself “the executive” of the “Association of sperm donating students” for infertile couples. Thuong said he was a master's degree trainee at a university in the city.
He said the association has more than 30 members who are students of universities and colleges in HCM City. The price is VND10 million.
"Our members are poor students who do not smoke or drink. We have served many customers and the results are always perfect," Thuong said.
Compiled by P. Linh
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