Donor Conception Network - Articles
Donor Conception Treatment Outside The UK
DC Network is increasingly being approached by people seeking information
about clinics outside the UK that provide donor conception, usually egg
donation.
Unfortunately we do not have the resources to collect
information about or to verify the clinical and ethical standards of
clinics in other countries, or the legal position applicable in them.
Anyone planning any sort of medical treatment abroad may have to face the
prospect of travelling to what may be an unfamiliar country with
different laws, language difficulties and potentially different clinical
standards.
However those seeking donor treatment in overseas clinics face
a number of additional issues.
Laboratory standards and screening of donors
In 2007 standards for the handling of cells (including embryos, eggs and
sperm) in EU countries will be required to be harmonised under the
Tissues and Cells Directive. The standards of testing donors for disease
and inherited disorders may not be the same as in UK clinics.
Recruitment of donors
There have been reports that women in some countries have been recruited
as egg donors in circumstances that suggest a degree of exploitation. The
Tissues and Cells Directive says that EU donors should not be paid for
donating but can be compensated for inconvenience.
There seem to be very
wide discrepancies in how this is interpreted. It is often difficult to
get meaningful assurances about the circumstances in which donors have
been recruited.
Donor information
Outside the UK there is no standardisation of the non-identifying
information about donors (including the reasons why the donor donated)
that may be available. In some countries, such as the USA, a large amount
of information is obtainable about donors.
In most European countries
there may be less information available than in the UK. In most countries
there is no central register of donors and recipients. Record keeping and
future access to information contained on records may not be as clearly
set out as in the UK.
Anonymous or identifiable donors
In many countries all donation is anonymous and for some people who are
conscious that an identifiable donor would be preferable but face waiting
lists in the UK, this is the most difficult issue.
They are aware that a
child might grow up wanting identifying information about his or her
donor, and the choice to have treatment with an anonymous donor rather
than waiting for a UK identifiable donor may have to be explained to the
child later.
If on the other hand an overseas donor is to be identifiable
when the child reaches 18 (as in the UK), the systems for recording and
eventually accessing the donor’s details may not be as robust as in
the UK.
