Sperm and egg donors are no longer allowed to remain anonymous after the birth of a child, the fertility authority said.
People who have donated sperm or eggs to help infertile couples have a child can remain completely anonymous for decades.
By this year, the first children born through sperm and egg donation will turn 18 and will be given information such as the donor’s name, date of birth and last known address if they want to locate that person.
However, the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which regulates the fertility industry, now suggests that donors should not remain anonymous at any time after the birth of their biological child.
People who have donated sperm or eggs to help infertile couples have a child can remain completely anonymous for decades. By this year, the first children born through sperm and egg donation will turn 18 and will be given information such as the donor’s name, date of birth and last known address if they want to locate that person.
The argument is that donors’ biological children and their families can often find them anyway, using DNA testing sites that uncover genetic relatives and using social media groups set up to help people do this to find donors and to trace born “donor brothers and sisters” with assistance. from the same person.
Julia Chain, Chair of the HFEA, said: “Nowhere in this area has the pace of social and technological change been faster than with the growing popularity of direct-to-consumer DNA testing and social media, which are having a lasting impact on the anonymity of.” Donor.. “We must reconcile the law with reality.”
“We recommend a change in the law so that parents can find out who is a donor at the birth of a child.”
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“Our proposal reflects the fact that the current system, whereby identifying information about a donor at the age of 18 and only on request is provided to the surrogate, can no longer effectively keep up.”
“We know this is an important step, so a phased approach to getting to this position may be best, but the goal should be to future-proof the law.”
The proposal is part of a series of recommendations from the regulator after former health ministers Lord Bethell and Maria Caulfield asked it to consider how to update the Human Fertility and Embryology Act.
Since it was introduced in 1990, this law has only been changed once, in 2008.
It suggests the government will carefully consider the new proposals from the HFEA, an independent organization linked to the Department of Health and Social Care.
The regulator also wants the ability to fine clinics if necessary, warning that it currently has “no enforcement tools” to crack down on unproven “add-ons” offered alongside fertility treatments.
These are often expensive adjunctive treatments offered to infertile couples and women for which there is often no scientific basis. They can harm patients financially and in some cases harm their health.
Recommending a sperm donor is important because the number of single women undergoing fertility treatment has increased from just 490 in 2000 to 4,300 in 2021, while the number of female same-sex couples starting families is increasing.
Many women who are older and unable to conceive also use eggs donated by a younger woman, and these egg donors will also lose their anonymity as a result of the recommendation.
However, previous sperm and egg donors would remain anonymous under the proposal, and the HFEA says parents should not be required by law to tell their children they were conceived with a donor, although evidence from fertility clinics should still be encouraged.
The regulator accepts that some parents value the 18 years in which their child does not receive information about the donor and want to use this time to prepare their child for future information about him.
It says that the recommendation can only be accepted after thorough discussion and advises all people who are thinking of using a donor and also the donors.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
