Introduction
Due to some cases of infertility and sexual defects, some couples resort to egg and sperm donation to have children. The practice is becoming common in the US as many individuals are ready to donate their eggs and sperm for the same purpose. However, most donors have their identities kept anonymous from both the prospective parents and the donor-conceived children.
At the same time, the offspring continuously demand more information about their identity, especially when they become old enough. Therefore, the debate on donor anonymity is gaining momentum in America as groups are divided on whose rights, between the donors and the offspring, should be honored. Various reasons have been raised concerning the issue, including children’s right to identity, the psychological impact, the cultural aspect of child-parent relations, and ethical concerns. Accordingly, it is important for couples to consider using anonymous donors for future identity issues.
The Question of Identity
Children have a right to identity and to have information about their genetic heritage; however, this is not easy among donor-conceived individuals whose roots remain anonymous since their donor parents’ identities are kept private. Since its inception in the 1980s, several kids have been born out of the donor setup. Nevertheless, with the children becoming adults, the majority are demanding to know more about their genetic roots and information surrounding their conception.
Even though most couples try hard to keep this information from the children for fear of the psychological impact, donor-conceived individuals increasingly become obsessed with finding their origin and knowing their donor parents (Jadva et al., 2023). In America, donors enjoy the right to privacy, as most people prefer their identities to be kept anonymous. The increase in the demand for identity by donor-conceived offspring continues to ignite the debate about revealing the identity of donors.
Ethical Concerns
Regardless of their birth or conception, children should know their cultural roots. In third-party reproduction, the resultant offspring have a right to be told about their parents to feel that sense of cultural belonging. Even though most anonymous donors do not want their identities revealed to their offspring, donor-conceived children, on the other hand, need to be told the truth about the circumstances of their birth and the possible identities of their parents (Hodson, 2023).
During sperm and egg donation exercises, the donors may have been promised privacy privileges with their identities kept secret. However, the arrangement does not encompass the resultant offspring, who, like other children, should be informed about their cultural roots and possible siblings. Donor-conceived kids may have siblings, which most would want to know, but that is impossible in an enclosed third-party reproduction.
Similarly, most anonymous donors are ethically concerned about the impact of exposing their identities on their families. Donors have families they feel would be affected by exposing their identities. Since most donations are normally made without the family’s knowledge or consent, most donors would not want their families entangled in the mess or conflict.
Similarly, most intended parents keep the conception information from their donor-conceived children. Therefore, revealing the donor’s identity would only harm the family peace (Farid, 2022). Ethically balancing donor and donor-conceived individual concerns is becoming increasingly difficult, especially with most offspring continuously demanding to know more about their conception and origins.
Psychological Aspect
Anonymous sperm and egg donation comes with a psychological burden for all the parties involved, from the donors, the donor-conceived individuals, and the intended parents. In some cases, donors are motivated by money, especially in setups where they are paid for the exercise, leading to the psychological burden of needing to keep the secret from the family (Koukoulis, 2023). In most cases, donors do not consult their partners and families when they donate the egg or sperm; as a result, such news can be characterized by an emotional impact on their families. With most donor-conceived children increasingly demanding to be given the identity of their genetic heritage, the donors and their families are becoming emotionally and psychologically affected.
Similarly, donor-conceived children feel emotional when they discover their genetic heritage and cultural roots cannot be found. Since most intended parents hide the information from their donor-conceived children, it becomes emotionally disturbing and psychologically challenging when the offspring discover on their own the circumstances of their conception and the anonymity of their real parents (Koukoulis, 2023). Correspondingly, the enclosed third-party reproduction psychologically impacts the intended parents by exposing their sexual defects to their children and ruining the long-term relationship they enjoy with their donor-conceived kids. Children usually enjoy a close relationship with their intended parents before realizing their origin. However, the relationship is likely ruined if the children learn of their true identity, which is psychologically challenging.
Sociological Reasons for Anonymous Third-Party Reproduction
Since the inception of sperm and egg donation in the 1980s, the practice has become popular with most sexually challenged couples or individuals resorting to that option. However, the anonymous donor arrangement is the most common, with most donors preferring to keep their identities confidential (Lysons et al., 2022). Similarly, most intended parents seeking children through gamete donation always favor anonymous arrangements where the donors’ identities are not disclosed.
Less Risk for the Donor
Most children research their genetic heritage and cultural roots when they come of age; thus, donor-conceived kids are likely to find their donor parents and claim support. As a result, individuals interested in gamete donation usually prefer to keep their identities anonymous to avoid being exposed to such incidents. By being anonymous, the donor-conceived offspring cannot trace the donor for child support or play the parental figure.
During third-party reproduction, donors understand their purpose is helping another individual or couple to create a family and are not obliged to the child (Goedeke et al., 2022). Therefore, staying anonymous helps them avoid situations where they are sued for child support or forced to assume parental figures. In addition, anonymity helps donors protect their families from the psychological burden associated with discovery and the emotional distress that comes with realizing that one partner or family member was involved in sperm donation.
Less Risk for the Intended Parents
Usually, intended parents want to have donor-conceived children as their own. However, this is threatened if the donor’s identity remains anonymous since the kids may trace and contact their donor parents and probably desert the intended parents for them. When children come of age, the need to know about their genetic heritage and cultural roots may lead them to discover the circumstances of their conception. As a result, they may be tempted to trace the donor parent for connection and stay with them, leaving the intended parents without a child. Such incidents can only be avoided through anonymous donor arrangements by concealing the identity of the donors (Lysons et al., 2022).
Similarly, anonymous third-party reproduction is characterized by less risk to the intended parents by reducing the cases of emotional challenges. Intended parents enjoy close relationships with their donor-conceived children, who consider them actual parents due to ignorance. However, the positive relationship can be ruined if the kids discover their true origin and donor parents.
Less Shame
Third-party reproduction is characterized by shame for both donors and intended parents. First, most donors do not inform their partners and families about engaging in the exercise, and revealing their identities would only attract shame and negative reprisal from the group. In addition, there is always a shame to a family or couple when one of their own is sued for child support or forced to take a parental role by children they reproduced through gamete donation.
Secondly, the intended parents are ashamed when the donor-conceived child or children discover that they are not the birth parents (Lysons et al., 2022). In addition, most intended parents suffer infertility issues; therefore, it is shameful if the conceived donor-offspring discovers their sexual problems. Such feelings of shame can only be avoided if the donor’s identity remains anonymous and thus cannot be found.
Challenges of Anonymous Egg and Sperm Donation
Emotional Impact on Children
Even though most individuals, donors, and intended parents favor anonymity, the undisclosed donor arrangement can harm donor-conceived children. In the era of biological technology providing DNA services, people can easily establish their genetic roots through saliva and other fluids. Donor-conceived children can discover their family roots secretly without involving their intended parents (Nordqvist & Gilman, 2022). As a result, the kids may be psychologically tortured when they realize they do not belong to their supposed families. In the same vein, donor-conceived individuals may engage in DNA services to establish the whereabouts of their donor parents, leading to unanticipated conflicts.
Donor Sibling Complication
Like their peers, donor-conceived children have siblings, even though the information may remain hidden from them in the anonymous arrangement. The offspring have a right to know and interact with their siblings (Farid, 2022). Hiding the identity of the donor parent makes it difficult for the donor-conceived individuals to trace their siblings and enjoy the needed relationship with them. In the same vein, it becomes challenging when a donor-conceived child has discovered the circumstances of their birth and the true origin and thus needs to know the whereabouts of the other siblings. Anonymous egg and sperm donation, therefore, complicates the issue of donor siblings.
Conclusion
Anonymous egg and sperm donation is gaining popularity in America and other regions due to its lower risk to the parties involved, including the donors, the intended parents, and the offspring. However, the enclosed arrangement is characterized by numerous ethical, psychological, and emotional concerns. The donors and the intended parents risk suffering emotional and psychological concerns upon the offspring’s discovery of their origins. Similarly, the key players have proved to take little interest in the psychological impact on the children, leaving children vulnerable to emotional problems. In addition, the setup dismissed the ethical concern of the child’s right to identity and cultural roots.
References
Farid, M. S. (2022). Ethical issues in sperm, egg, and embryo donation: Islamic Shia perspectives. HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum. Web.
Goedeke, S., Shepherd, D., & Rodino, I. S. (2022). Fertility stakeholders’ concerns regarding payment for egg and sperm donation in New Zealand and Australia. Reproductive Biomedicine & Society Online, 14, 8–19. Web.
Hodson, N. (2023). Differences between sperm sharing and egg sharing are morally relevant. Journal of Medical Ethics, 49(1), 60–64. Web.
Jadva, V., Jones, C., Hall, P., Imrie, S., & Golombok, S. (2023). ‘I know it’s not normal, but it’s normal to me, and that’s all that matters’: Experiences of young adults conceived through egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. Human Reproduction. Web.
Koukoulis, A. N. (2023). Secrecy & anonymity in donor-assisted conception and the right to genetic origins information: The current status in Greece. Medicine, Science, and the Law, 63(1), 78-80. Web.
Lysons, J., Imrie, S., Jadva, V., & Golombok, S. (2022). ‘I’m the only mum she knows’: Parents’ understanding of, and feelings about, identity-release egg donation. Human Reproduction, 37(10), 2426-2437. Web.
Nordqvist, P., & Gilman, L. (2022). Conclusion: Being an egg or sperm donor in the age of openness. In P. Nordqvist & L. Gilman (Eds.), Donors (pp. 211-225). Emerald Publishing Limited. Web.