QFG responds to Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee report concerning donors
Queensland Fertility Group (QFG) disagrees with the recommendations of The Victorian Parliament's Law Reform Committee that the identity of sperm donors, who were promised anonymity at the time of their donation, should be available to their now-adult progeny.
These donors were actively recruited from the mid- seventies in the pre-IVF era when the only realistic chance of having a family for couples with severe male-factor infertility was adoption or sourcing sperm from a fertile donor.
We acknowledge that a small number of donor offspring feel badly treated by the anonymity of the sperm donation which led to their birth 25 or more years ago. They wish to have the Government pass a law which would retrospectively make their donors' identity known to them against the donors' wishes.
The Parliamentary Committee suggests that, while identifying details should be provided, the donor may place a veto on contact. QFG fears that this may lead to stalking of the donors and the donors' existing children by their DI-conceived offspring. We are further concerned that the search for biological kin will lead to donor-conceived half-siblings, unaware of their donor origins, being contacted by those with a need to meet them with most unfortunate consequences for many families.
QFG urges the Victorian Parliament to respect the promise of anonymity made to these donors all those years ago.
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