Information sharing in semen donation: The views of donors

Abstract

The authors report on a comparative questionnaire study of semen donors at two London clinics offering donor insemination (DI). Results presented here include donors' attitudes towards the storage of identifying information on the UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's central register, the importance of anonymity when donating, feelings about being traced by DI offspring, and views on the release of identifying donor information to mature offspring. Donors from the two clinics were found to differ on some, although not all, of the above points; in particular, donors from one clinic offered more support for the eventual release of identifying information to DI offspring. The discussion brings in the results of other studies and highlights the complexity of the anonymity question. The authors conclude that some donors may be willing to move towards greater openness of information under controlled conditions using the existing central register and a “veto” system.