Under the current law in Canada egg and sperm donors both have the right to anonymity.
However, a court in Vancouver is about to rule whether this is right or not and whether it should continue.
If the court rules that children created by egg and/or sperm donation have the right to know, a lot of previous donors will start being contacted by their genetic -offspring.
Critics of any law change point to the UK where the removal of anonymity has led to a reduction in sperm donors coming forward to donate their sperm.
The debate reflects to change in priorities - from assisting parents to have children to how the resulting children grow up and deal with how they were created. The children will be bound to have questions. As more children have been conceived through these methods so has an awareness of their rights to know.
Some 4,500 babies a year are born as a result of various forms of fertility treatment, though not all involving donations.
Since a ban on payment for gametes was introduced in 2004 the number of sperm banks in Canada has fallen to one. One sperm bank, with only 40 donors on it's books.
To fill this huge shortage 95% of sperm used in Canada is imported over the border from the US, where there are no commercial restrictions regarding the payment of sperm donors, (or egg donors).
Regarding the issue of anonymity - the removal of it in the UK does not seem to have caused a fall in donors. Anonymity was removed in 2005.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) the number of sperm and egg donors has increased to 396 sperm donors and 1,150 egg donors, these figures are for 2008.
However, there is still a shortage of suitable donors in the UK, and the HFEA itself has recently launched a consultation to find ways to increase donations, possibly through commercial payments to donors.
Read the full story at: nationalpost.com
However, a court in Vancouver is about to rule whether this is right or not and whether it should continue.
If the court rules that children created by egg and/or sperm donation have the right to know, a lot of previous donors will start being contacted by their genetic -offspring.
Critics of any law change point to the UK where the removal of anonymity has led to a reduction in sperm donors coming forward to donate their sperm.
The debate reflects to change in priorities - from assisting parents to have children to how the resulting children grow up and deal with how they were created. The children will be bound to have questions. As more children have been conceived through these methods so has an awareness of their rights to know.
Some 4,500 babies a year are born as a result of various forms of fertility treatment, though not all involving donations.
Since a ban on payment for gametes was introduced in 2004 the number of sperm banks in Canada has fallen to one. One sperm bank, with only 40 donors on it's books.
To fill this huge shortage 95% of sperm used in Canada is imported over the border from the US, where there are no commercial restrictions regarding the payment of sperm donors, (or egg donors).
Regarding the issue of anonymity - the removal of it in the UK does not seem to have caused a fall in donors. Anonymity was removed in 2005.
According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) the number of sperm and egg donors has increased to 396 sperm donors and 1,150 egg donors, these figures are for 2008.
However, there is still a shortage of suitable donors in the UK, and the HFEA itself has recently launched a consultation to find ways to increase donations, possibly through commercial payments to donors.
Read the full story at: nationalpost.com
