The Right to Know: Identity Disclosure in Donor Conception
Families that use genetic donation (egg, sperm or embryo donation) to have children are faced with many choices. Intended parents must decide not only who to select as their donor, but also what information they want to make available to their future child. Concerns surrounding privacy and protection of parental rights influence some parents to opt for “anonymous” (full names are not shared) or “semi-open” arrangements (some information may be shared). Other parents prioritize connection with their donors, and have friends or relatives who are willing to donate. In any arrangement, legal regulations also come into play, varying widely across different countries.
As donor conception becomes more common, a fundamental question has come to the forefront: what do donor-conceived people have the right to know about their genetic origins? Traditionally centered on anonymity, many see a global shift toward transparency — one shaped by evolving laws, reproductive technology, and the growing voices of donor-conceived individuals advocating for openness and identity rights.
1. How Countries Regulate Donor Identity Disclosure
Across the world, countries regulate donor identity disclosure in markedly different ways — reflecting divergent cultural values, ethical priorities, and legal traditions.
Mandatory disclosure or “identity release”: In countries such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, donor-conceived individuals have the right to obtain identifying information about their donor once they reach a certain age, or anonymous donation is outright banned. These nations view access to information on a person’s genetic origins as a fundamental right.
Anonymity is protected: Other jurisdictions, such as Spain and Italy, allow donors to remain anonymous. This approach favors privacy and confidentiality rights, and some believe this increases the willingness of individuals to become donors.
Unregulated systems: The United States, Mexico, and Eastern Europe permit anonymous and open donation, leaving the specifics surrounding disclosure and information sharing up to parents and donors. Donation agreements can be customized to fit the mutual desires of the participants.
Globally, however, the trend is clear: as the rights and voices of donor-conceived people gain recognition, more countries are moving away from secrecy toward openness and identity release.
2. From Anonymity to Transparency
For decades, anonymity was the norm in gamete donation. Donors were promised privacy; recipients were assured confidentiality; and children were often never told of their origins. This model reflected a time when donor conception was stigmatized and secrecy was seen as a form of protection.
Today, that rationale no longer holds. The rise of consumer DNA testing, the globalization of reproductive technology, and a growing ethical consensus around transparency have made anonymity virtually impossible — and, many argue, unjust. Donor-conceived individuals are increasingly discovering their genetic relatives through online databases, sometimes without any prior knowledge of the circumstances of their conception.
As a result, the conversation has shifted from whether disclosure should occur to how and when it should happen — and how parents, donors, and professionals can approach it in a way that supports the child’s long-term emotional and psychological health.
3. Guidance from the ASRM Ethics Committee
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) Ethics Committee has taken a clear position: disclosure of donor conception, particularly early in a child’s life, benefits both children and families.
In its most recent opinion, the Committee emphasizes that:
Access to medical and genetic history is vital for a child’s healthcare and understanding of identity.
Early openness fosters trust, communication, and emotional security within families.
Late or accidental discovery can be deeply distressing, leading to feelings of betrayal or confusion.
While ASRM stops short of mandating disclosure, its ethical guidance strongly favors transparency as the approach that best supports the child’s welfare, autonomy, and sense of self.
4. The Voices of Donor-Conceived People
The most compelling push toward openness comes not from policymakers, but from donor-conceived individuals themselves. Advocacy groups such as We Are Donor Conceived have brought global attention to their experiences and perspectives.
The group’s 2020 survey found that many donor-conceived adults who were told later in life — or who discovered their conception through DNA testing — described feelings of shock, loss, and confusion. By contrast, those who learned of their origins from an early age reported greater acceptance and trust in their families.
At the heart of their message is a simple but powerful principle: every person has a right to know where they come from. For these individuals, knowing their donor’s identity is not about replacing parents or forming new families — it’s about understanding their medical history, ancestry, and sense of self.
This movement reframes donor conception not just as a reproductive choice, but as a lifelong identity issue that deserves honesty and respect.
5. Embracing Ethical Openness
The shift toward openness in donor conception reflects a broader societal movement toward truth, identity, and the rights of donor-conceived children. What was once seen as private reproductive information is now recognized as an essential part of a person’s story — something that belongs, ultimately, to the child.
A gamete donation agreement, which incorporates the topics of disclosure and confidentiality, is an essential step in any donor conception arrangement. Intended parents and donors are welcome to contact our firm to discuss this legal process and how we may be able to support your journey.
