Egg and Sperm Donors: Anonymous or Non-Anonymous?

Egg and sperm donors: anonymous or non-anonymous?

In France, according to the new law that has just come into force, from now on only non-anonymous egg and sperm donation will be allowed. Children born through in vitro fertilisation with donor eggs or sperm will be able to know their identity when they reach the age of majority.

If you would need a sperm or an egg donor, how would you like the selection process to be?

I will let you know what other people answers when asked this question during the consultation:

  • I have already chosen her: I want it to be my sister who donates me her eggs. I do not have a male partner and I would like to have a child with a friend of mine.
  • I would prefer the process to remain completely anonymous: the doctor should assign us a sperm/egg donor based on our physical features and only get to know what is strictly necessary from the medical point of view (family history, age and blood group). I would not want to have any contact with the donor in the future.
  • I would rather know who the donor is. I would like to choose him myself. I wish to see pictures of him and to have as much information as possible about him at al levels, including his identity. I would like it to be like this because I will tell my son and when he becomes 18, he will have the right to meet him if he wants to.  Others would like that too, but they are not planning on telling their son.

We will not speak about the motivations because it does not matter; they do not have to justify their decisions to anyone.

But on a practical level, what happens? Can you do it?

Well, that depends on the laws of each country. In some of them, gamete donation is forbidden. In other countries, it can only be done with anonymous donors, and in other ones they can only do it with non-anonymous donors.

In my experience, many women without a male partner want to choose their sperm donor, so it has to be a “non-anonymous donor”, whereas most women who need donor eggs prefer that the donation remain anonymous.

Theoretically, laws regulate the rules according to the needs of the population, so how is it to understand, for example, that in France (the country of “Liberté”) it was until recently forbidden to inseminate an unmarried woman with the sperm of a donor? Now it is legal, but it is impossible because only “non-anonymous donors” are allowed when there are practically none and, moreover, is not allowed to bring sperm from other countries.

Lately we are experiencing an increase in regulations against women’s freedom.

It seems rather that the laws are conditioned by other interests, as the logical thing would be that the two options could coexist and that the parents could choose!

But nowadays, thanks to the Internet and the multiple travelling possibilities, patients often prefer to visit centres abroad to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents, not accepting the limitations imposed by their closest environment.

Society is changing and the fertility clinics must adapt to new concerns and demands. To help our patients on that matter, we have created a system so that they can undergo an insemination or an In Vitro Fertilisation with known or anonymous donors including all options mentioned above. You decide… and we make it work as easy as possible.

Treatments with anonymous egg and sperm donors are carried out in our centres in Spain and Italy. Treatments with non-anonymous sperm donors, in other centers with which we collaborate.

8 Comments

  1. Well, Explanation you gave us. I am impressed with your site and your posts information, It very help us. Thank you so much for sharing the information. You made a good site it’s very interesting one.

  2. Good information shared to us. u was given more accurate and interesting topic it is helpful for who are waiting for sperm and egg donation treatment it definitely helps for were. u have done a great job

  3. Kelly socol Reply

    My wife and I (we’re a same sex couple)have tried IVF with non anonymous donor sperm three times now.
    The donor sperm fertilised many of my wife’s eggs. The embryos made it to day 5 very well.
    Every transfer failed. My wife has had many tests and there is nothing showing any issue with her uterus etc.

    We are unsure how to proceed, it has been an emotional journey. The clinic we are working with here in Ireland are not sure what to do either.

    Could you offer some advice?

    Thanks

    Kelly

    • Dr. Marisa López-Teijón Reply

      Dear Kelly,

      It is pretty difficult to give you any advice since we don´t know your medical history. We will be very happy to help you in our clinic in Clane if you want to visit us.

      Kind regards

  4. Dharshi Reply

    Having been diagnosed with poor egg quality, I was told that I can try taking supplements to improve oocyte quality and try retrieval again.
    I have been reading conflicting conclusions on the effectiveness of supplements. What is your opinion on this, do you think this could help me?
    Thank you so much!

    • Dr. Marisa López-Teijón Reply

      Dear Dharshi,

      I am sorry, but the oocyte quality does not improve with supplements. As years go by, the egg quality decreases; that is why the older we get, the more difficult it is to get pregnant.

      Kind regards.

  5. YU-TING Reply

    Where are the other centers that you collaborate to do the treatments with non-anonymous sperm donors?

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