I have suggested elsewhere, that Confucianism, with its emphasis on the social embedded-ness of the individual, would likely support some forms of medical intervention to facilitate child birth.  If the intent and purpose of such intervention were driven by the potential good a child would bring to a family (in terms of the capacity to enact Humanity), then "artificially" creating a child, through in vitro techniques, might be acceptable to a Confucian.   Of course, the problem lies in knowing when such interventions might not be acceptable.  How can we know precisely why people might do such a thing?  Are their intentions good or not so good?

    Well, today I have found a story that helps clarify the Confucian position on in vitro fertilization.  The title gives it away: As Demand for Donor Eggs Soars, High Prices Stir Ethical Concerns. 

     It seems that the young women who provide eggs for in vitro pregnancies are paid for their time and inconvenience.  And when money enters the equation, problems arise:

Though many egg donors derive great satisfaction from knowing that
they helped someone start a family, the price of eggs has soared in
recent years as demand has increased, and the sizable payments raise
controversy.

A survey published this month in the journal
Fertility and Sterility, “What Is Happening to the Price of Eggs?”
found that the national average compensation for donors was $4,217. At
least one center told the authors of the paper that it paid $15,000.
Many centers did not respond.

     This situation has apparently sparked a debate on how much is enough and how much is too much:

The American Society for Reproductive Medicine considers compensation
of $5,000 or more to “require justification” and sums exceeding $10,000
“beyond what is appropriate.”

 These numbers are obviously arbitrary.  What is the intrinsic ethical difference between $10,000 and, say, $11,000?

       I think a Confucian would be very uneasy with any payment for eggs, for precisely the reason mentioned at the end of the story:

“They all think I’m crazy,” she [an egg donor] said. “If the topic comes up, and I
tell friends I’ve done it, they’re like: ‘Why? Oh my God, aren’t you
afraid you have a baby out there?’ They’re so stunned and shocked.”

Then
she tells them how much she was paid. “And then they go, ‘O.K., I
understand now, that’s cool,’ ” she said. “People understand the money.”

 If people only understand money, then they have lost sight of the larger project of Humanity.  Money should never be an ethical standard, at least for a Confucian.  Money does not make it "cool."

     When money enters the picture, profit-mindedness infects intimate relationships and undermines good intentions.  If an egg donor comes to understand the beauty she contributes to when she enables a couple (or a person)  to enact Humanity through raising a child, then that should be reward in itself.  Concerns of safety (which are apparently still significant in the egg "harvesting" process) are distinct and separate issues.  If the procedure is unsafe, then it should not be done; danger should not simply raise the price. 

      To summarize: a Confucian would accept egg donations and in vitro techniques only if they are done for reasons of Humanity.  Money should not enter the picture; and if money does enter the picture, the procedure should not be done.