Ethicists call for international limits on number of children per sperm donor

The four Nordic National Ethics Councils have called for cross-border regulations on the number of children that can be conceived per sperm or egg donor.

The councils of Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway urged their countries and the rest of Europe to consider the legal and ethical concerns of an increased demand for international gamete donation, in a report released last week. Many European countries have national limits on either the number of families that can use a donor, or the number of children that can be conceived using the same donor. However, there are currently no international limits on the number of children that can be born using gametes from the same donor.

Jackson Kirkman-Brown, professor of reproductive biology at the University of Birmingham, told BioNews: 'This statement reflects a growing change and evolution in recent years to focus upon how a donor-conceived individual may react to their genetic links and increasing awareness for their welfare, rather than just the desire of prospective parents for a certain donor.'

Demand for donor gametes has increased in recent decades. This is largely attributed to legislative changes around assisted reproduction for same-sex couples and single women, and a decline in fertility among heterosexual couples.

This increased demand has resulted in a reliance on commercial cryobanks that export gametes internationally. According to the report, approximately 83 percent of donor-conceived individuals in Norway are now conceived using imported sperm. This was mainly from Denmark, where some of the world's largest cryobanks are located. Furthermore, according to recent figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, more than half of new sperm donors registered in the UK in 2020 were imports.

Historically, concerns around limiting the number of offspring per donor focused on the risk of genetic half-siblings having children together (consanguinity) and the transmission of hereditary diseases. A more recent concern is the rise in direct-to-consumer genetic testing that has the potential to connect previously unknown relatives, thereby removing the guarantee of anonymity from donors. The report acknowledged the psychosocial impact of donor-conceived individuals uncovering potentially more than 100 half-siblings as a priority consideration.

The joint statement emphasised that in setting appropriate limits, an international framework should balance the demand for donated gametes with conflicting interests of stakeholders including donors, recipients and donor-conceived people. One study referenced in the report found that some donor-conceived people in Denmark and Norway experienced feeling like 'commodities' upon discovering half-siblings, and felt concerned about the number of genetic relatives they may have. Another US study reported that donor-conceived people favoured lower donation limits than recipient families and donors.

The councils emphasised that all parties must be fully informed about relevant national or international limits prior to donating or receiving donated gametes. The report encouraged clinics to enforce voluntary international limits on the children per gamete donor in the meantime.

Marlene Vium, CEO of Born Donor Bank, told BioNews: 'Born welcomes this initiative. Our sperm bank is open and transparent, displaying the worldwide family limits (25 or 75 families) on our donor profiles online – for recipients, clinics, and donors to be fully informed. We have already witnessed other, larger sperm banks following our lead on this, and we hope that the rest will follow suit.'