Nordic ethical councils from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland are urging the introduction of an international limit on the number of children a single sperm or egg donor can genetically produce. This recommendation, presented in a joint statement, comes amid growing concerns over the ethical and regulatory challenges posed by cross-border reproductive assistance.
Increased demand drives ethical concerns
The demand for sperm and egg donations has surged significantly across Europe, driven largely by the expansion of assisted reproduction to single women and same-sex female couples. This increased demand has outpaced the availability of local donors in many countries, leading clinics and individuals to rely heavily on commercial cryobanks that operate internationally. Notably, Denmark hosts some of the largest cryobanks globally, supplying reproductive material to clients worldwide.
Lack of international regulation
While most countries have national laws limiting the number of offspring a single donor can have, there is no equivalent international regulation. Consequently, sperm or eggs from a single donor can be used in multiple countries, effectively bypassing national restrictions. This scenario can result in a donor child potentially having hundreds of genetic half-siblings spread across the globe.
Psychological and social challenges
Nordic ethical councils highlight that the absence of international regulation creates uncertainty and potential psychological and social difficulties for donors, recipients, and donor-conceived individuals. With increasing numbers of donor children using genetic testing and social media to discover their siblings, some individuals have unexpectedly found large numbers of half-siblings, raising profound ethical concerns.
Call for international cooperation
The joint statement from Nordic ethical councils strongly advocates for establishing international guidelines that cap the number of donor children per donor. Additionally, they are encouraging the Nordic governments to spearhead political initiatives aimed at introducing such regulations at the European Union level.
Until an international consensus is reached, the ethical councils urge cryobanks to voluntarily set clear limits and emphasize the importance of transparency. They recommend that donors and recipients be adequately informed about the potential number of offspring resulting from their donations.
The call from these ethical bodies underscores an urgent need for coordinated international regulatory frameworks to protect the well-being of donor-conceived children and maintain the integrity of reproductive assistance practices worldwide.
