In New Zealand, ovarian egg donation and surrogate pregnancy arrangements are often viewed through the interpretative lens of altruism and reproductive gift-giving. However, gift terminology does not represent the narrative accounts of all women who have participated in donor-assisted conception strategies. Drawing on interview data with New Zealand women, this article deals with accounts from donors who see their donative acts not so much as gifts, but as projects of the self, or as events that serve to mark out new beginnings in their lives.
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