The UK's gamete donor `crisis' - a critical analysis

Since April 2005, individuals donating sperm, eggs or embryos for the treatment of others in the UK have been required to agree to the disclosure of their identity to any child conceived as a result of their donation on reaching the age of 18. The main arguments advanced against the removal of donor anonymity are: first, it is responsible for a dramatic decline in the number of donors; second, it causes particular problems for donors in egg sharing programmes; and third, that it will increase the unwillingness of parents of donor-conceived children to tell their children about their conception. This paper analyses these arguments and points to flaws in both the evidential base and the argumentative strategies of these claims. The authors argue for a proactive approach to donor recruitment that reflects the contemporary context for the provision of donor conception services in the UK.