Young, cash-strapped adults are turning to their own bodies for extra money. It's called a 'donation', but these donors get paid, sometimes big bucks, to donate eggs and sperm for infertile couples.

Business is booming at many fertility clinics. Dr. John Payne has seen a 50% increase in the number of people applying online to donate eggs.

"Certainly we see every day there have been more layoffs and money is tight and prices increasing people are looking for a way to make ends meet or, increase their income, and it certainly on the surface can seem like a quick easy payday," Dr. Payne says.

More men are signing up to donate sperm. That's good news for clinics like Dr. Payne's, because there are more couples than ever before, looking for help to have a baby.

"There's becoming more and more need for donor eggs as women put off child bearing due to furthering careers, education, later marriages, re-marriages," Dr. Payne explains.

There's good money to be made if you donate. Women typically make about $5,000 for egg donations. Men make about $100 per collection. But not everyone who signs up will be selected. The majority of women that begin the process don't meet the initial questions.

You have to be between 21 and 32-years-old, a non-smoker, and meet a whole host of other physical and mental requirements set by the FDA. Then you wait to be matched to an infertile couple looking for help.

It could be several months to a year before you are compensated. It's not a quick buck that can be earned from it.

Donors tell us it's not just about the money. They also like knowing they've helped couples struggling to become a family.

The egg donation process does have side effects. You have to take fertility meds, which can lead to moodiness and bloating. There's also a small chance of developing problems with your ovaries...some of which can require surgery.