Health minister proposes end to compulsory anonymity in sperm and egg donation

Federal Health minister Frank Vandenbroucke wants to abolish compulsory anonymity in sperm and egg donation in Belgium. Under a proposal he has submitted to the government, donor-conceived children would gain the right to information about their donor from the age of 12.

At present, donation in Belgium is strictly anonymous. Fertility centres and sperm banks retain donors’ identity details but are prohibited from sharing them with parents or children. According to Vandenbroucke, this system has long created difficulties for donor-conceived people.

"They grew up with questions about their parentage that could never be fully answered. For some, this led to lingering uncertainty and sometimes long searches. Not infrequently they encountered a lack of understanding," he said on Wednesday.

Vandenbroucke wants to change that, arguing that "the rights of the child take precedence." In his proposal, donor-conceived children from the age of 12 would be able to request information about their donor. They would also have the right to know how many other children were conceived using the same donor.

"The rights of the child take precedence"

The age of 12 is a lower threshold than in many other countries, where the limit is 16 or 18. Vandenbroucke said he chose this age because Belgian children then gain more legal autonomy: they can be questioned within youth welfare or family court, and they can authenticate themselves using their identity card.

Not retroactive

Vandenbroucke's proposal does not apply retroactively: while past donors may choose to lift their anonymity, they will not be required to do so. Existing protections will also remain in place for anonymously donated material already in storage, and fertility centres would have a three-year transition period to use such material unless a donor voluntarily agrees to disclose their identity.

Steph Raeymaekers, president of Donorkinderen, a Flemish non-profit organisation supporting donor-conceived individuals, described the proposal as "a good start", but added that more must be done for those who have already been born through anonymous donation. "That group also needs to be put at the centre, either through measures or compensation," she said.

^{© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM}

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