Not the time to change policy on donor anonymity

It is slightly more than two and a half years since UK law regarding donor anonymity was changed, and which now allows individuals aged 18 or over who were conceived following donor conception undertaken since April 2005 to learn the identity of their donor.

This change in legislation was not universally endorsed; it was opposed by associations with strong medical orientations, the British Fertility Society, the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. The position of the BMA was especially interesting since the recommendation of its Ethics Committee, supporting the removal of anonymity, was rejected by the Association’s membership (British Medical Association, 2004).

Concerns about the removal of donor anonymity centre on two major areas:

1. the potential impact on donor supply;
2. the willingness of parents to inform their donor-conceived children about their conception.