April 23, 2024

New system for donor gametes

A Belgian bioethicist has proposed a novel solution to the shortage of donor sperm and eggs for UK IVF clinics, a problem which is becoming serious in the wake of the removal of donor anonymity. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, Guido Pennings, of Ghent University, argues that the partners of men or women who need gametes should donate their own for use by other clients. “People who cannot or do not want to donate, would not have access to donor gametes,” he says. The main disadvantage, he feels, is “the effort demanded of the female partner”.