In the 2020 ‘Fertility Tourism Survey’ conducted by the International Fertility Company 55% of the 500 individuals who participated travelled for treatments which involved a donor. Since this time there appears to be no let up in the numbers of individuals and couples continuing to seek the help of donors. According to the latest research by De Montfort University in the U.K. over 7,000 babies are born as a result of donor involvement in Europe each year. Spain continues to be the most popular destination for donor treatments, carrying out over 50% of the total annual number of treatments; the majority of which are accessed by women travelling to the country.
The legal framework which supports and manages donor involvement in assisted reproduction varies between countries and for individuals, often unsure of whether to venture down the donor route, this can make the process even more complicated.
Here, we provide a snapshot of the terms you might come across when you are considering donor treatment and a look at the different ways countries view donor conception.
Anonymous egg donation
IVF involving anonymous donors is offered in a number of European countries including Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic and refers to a process in which no identifiable information about the donor is shared with the recipient or resulting child. In some countries a limited amount of information about the donor may be shared such as their physical characteristics (i.e., hair, skin, eye colour). In countries where donation is anonymous, recipients or resulting children cannot request additional information about the donor.
Non anonymous egg donation
IVF involving non anonymous donors is offered in a growing number of countries including the U.K. Under this legal framework the donor agrees to share their identifiable personal information with any person born as a result of their donation once they reach the age of consent, usually at 18. All gamete donations are legally applied as non-anonymous in countries such as the U.K.
Mixed anonymity
A ‘mixed’ donor arrangement may also be available in certain countries. This refers to an arrangement where a limited amount of information is shared between parties which might allow the possibility of greater contact between donor and recipient or donor and child in the future.
The table provides a snapshot of the different arrangements in place regarding donor information and reflects tits diverse application in different countries..
| Country | Anonymous donors | Non-anonymous donors | Mixed system |
| Czech Republic | Yes | No | No |
| Denmark | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| North Cyprus | Yes | No | No |
| Spain | Yes | No | No |
| U.K. | No | Yes | No |
| U.S.A. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Differences also exist between countries who work with anonymous donors in relation to the limited non-identifiable information that can shared with recipients. A few examples are provided below,
Czech Republic
Physical characteristics such as height, hair and eye colour, blood type as well as the level of education, hobbies and interests of the donor may be shared.
North Cyprus
Characteristics such as height, hair and eye colour, blood type, the donor’s level of education, occupation, leisure interests and previous donation history may be shared.
Spain
Characteristics are limited to hair and eye colour, blood group and the age of the donor.
You may also find that differences exist between clinics in the same country so you will need to clarify which characteristics will be shared on a clinic by clinic basis.
The decision to involve a donor can be a difficult one which may be influenced by the arrangements in place which define the relationship between donor, recipient and any child born from the treatment. If you do choose this route however you do have choices; you can choose an anonymous or non-anonymous donor, someone who is known to you or a hybrid of any of these arrangements.
And remember there are technologies that make your choice a little easier even in those countries where information about the donor is limited. One such innovation is facial biometrics and one of the leaders in the field, Fenomatch, specialise in helping patients reliant on donor intervention, the opportunity to match their facial traits with those of donors. This is particularly useful for medical professionals who are ultimately responsible for choosing donors and offers reassurance and confidence to patients who are seeking donors who resemble them physically.
You can learn more about Fenomatch and its artificial Intelligence-based platform here, https://fenomatch.com/en/
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