Altruistic Semen Donation in Canada: A Pilot Study

Abstract

On March 24th, 2004, the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Act[1] received Royal Assent and became law in Canada. This law follows what is now becoming an international trend toward prohibiting the purchase of donor gametes and restricting the types of reimbursement provided to donors. Although literature concerning gamete donor recruitment predominantly discusses issues surrounding donor anonymity, several authors have reported on the administration of sperm donor programmes without the provision of payment. A review of 22 studies from 8 countries, conducted between 1980 and 2003, concluded that semen donors who are older, married, or are fathers are less likely to be motivated by payment[2]. No Canadian data have been published on this topic.