8/22/2023 0 Comments Donate sperm![]() On the one hand, it is argued that the child has the right to know his or her genetic origins, ancestry, and history (Ravitsky, 2017), while on the other hand, it is argued that the donor has the right to privacy and distance from the child (Pennings, 2019a, b). The issue of donor identifiability has arisen from a social debate about weighing the rights and duties of the resulting child against the rights of the donor. A transition period was established for situations where gametes were donated before the legislative change, and for the following 3 years, the identities of donors would remain anonymous. In line with this change, the importation of gametes was limited to countries with non-anonymous donation. Following this, a child conceived using donated sperm, oocytes, or embryo was allowed to learn the donor’s identity on reaching the age of 18 years old. Indeed, in 2018, the Portuguese Constitutional Court imposed changes in the anonymity regime for all treatments involving third-party reproduction, such as donated sperm, oocytes, and embryos (Acórdão nº 225/ 2018). Since then, several countries-such as the Netherlands, Finland, the UK, and more recently Portugal-have also changed their laws to allow donor-conceived children to learn the identity of the donors. In 1985, Sweden became the first country to allow children conceived through MAR to learn their genetic origins once they reach an age of sufficient maturity (Ekerhovd, Faurskov, & Werner, 2008). There is controversy, however, about who should be able to resort to MAR, as well as a moral dilemma about the identifiability of sperm donors and compensation for the donation (Almeling, 2006 Fortescue, 2003).Īn understanding that donor-conceived people have the right to learn the identity of their donors led to legislative changes in some countries to remove donor anonymity (Golombok, 2015). ![]() Consequently, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of children born as a result of heterologous MAR, particularly using donated sperm, in the coming years. In 2016, Portuguese law extended MAR treatment to all women, regardless of their marital status, sexual orientation, or any infertility diagnosis. Anonymity in Gamete Donation or Lack of It The topic has received more attention in Portugal, where legislation about the identifiability of donors has been recently changed. In recent years, issues have arisen about identifying donors, whether through legislation or the use of direct-to-consumer DNA testing, and this has raised important concerns (Pennings, 2019a, b). ![]() While the medical procedures are technically identical to performing autologous MAR, the use of donated gametes or embryos brings additional concerns and difficulties. Lesbian couples and single women also need to undergo MAR to achieve motherhood, whether through intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization with donated sperm. In Portugal, about 9% of couples of reproductive ages are unable to have children due to infertility, and a minority of those will seek to undergo medically assisted reproduction (MAR) with donated gametes or embryos to achieve parenthood (Zegers-Hochschild et al., 2017). Gamete donation is the only means of achieving parenthood for those unable to conceive a child with their own gametes. Clear information about the identifiability of sperm donors should also be provided. Recruitment campaigns should therefore consider the specific motivations, attitudes, and psychosocial characteristics of potential sperm donors. Indeed, parenthood is a universal right, so sperm donation should be encouraged, regardless of recipients’ fertility status. Age, education level, conscientiousness, empathic concern, and conservative and religious values were associated with the participants’ motivations and attitudes toward sperm donation. Overall, sexual orientation was not associated with the participants’ attitudes and motivations. The results mostly indicated altruistic reasons for donating, positive attitudes toward anonymity, and a greater willingness to donate to infertile women. Psychological and sociodemographic characteristics were also explored. The relationships between these factors and participants’ ![]() The study’s sample comprised men who were eligible to donate sperm (N = 282). For this study, we deployed an online survey to explore men’s motivations for donating and their attitudes toward anonymity and donating for specific groups. The widespread access to medically assisted reproduction (MAR) techniques for all women, regardless of any infertility diagnosis, has led to an increased, but as yet unmet, demand for sperm donors in Portugal.
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