Considerations against disclosure

While supporters of disclosure resort to the adoption model as an argument, their critics consider this comparison of egg donation (ovum donation) to adoption to be wrong for many reasons (Patrizio et al., 2001). So, if there's egg donation (ovum donation) or sperm donation one of the parents is a biological one and the second is a social one, whereas in adoption both parents are social. An adopted child becomes a member of the family as an already existing individual. Rejected by one family and adopted by another, the child may need true information to realize his status. In the case of egg donation (ovum donation) or sperm donation, the only thing to be "adopted" is one or two gametes.

In the case of egg donation (ovum donation), making the mother explain to the offspring that in technical terms she isn't his or her true mother because she isn't linked to him through genetic ties will be a heavy burden to bear for the child, and furthermore – almost impossible to understand (Patrizio et al., 2001).

Informing the child of the fact that he or she is the result of conception through egg donation (ovum donation) leads the child to social and psychological uncertainty. This uncertainty is particularly harmful when the child wants to know more about the donor but can't do so (Hahn and Craft-Rosenberg, 2002; Daniels et al., 1995).

Furthermore, non-disclosure allows parents to keep their infertility in secret, which may be important for them for various reasons: an anxiety that the child will reject the non-genetic parent; a fear of depreciative reactions from members of the family, especially in those cultures where egg donation (ovum donation) and sperm donation are deemed as inadmissible (Mahlstedt et al., 1998). For example, 2/3 of couples who decided to hold back information from the child behaved so out of a fear that this information could impair normal development of the child. Almost half of them were afraid of affecting mother-child relations. Other motives were a wish to protect the egg donor, religious/culture-specific reasons, or a wish to forget the treatment (Baetens et al, 2000).

Some authors raise the question of whether or not we really have a right to bind infertile couples by a commitment to provide information on such things that are left untouched in fertile couples. Studies justly point to equality between the latter and former. Authors express strong doubt about usefulness of intrusion into private life and enforcing individual choice of a particular family model which may be harmful for the child (Patrizio et al., 2001).

Preliminary studies reveal that children not informed of the fact of conception through egg donation (ovum donation) or sperm donation develop well and don't demonstrate any mental disorders (Amuzu et al, 1990; Golombok, 1999; Golombok et al, 1999; Applegarth et al, 1995).

Any demand for disclosure deemed as an unavoidable precondition for starting the treatment contradicts the generally accepted view on informed agreement that exists in the healthcare system.

Literature on the advantages and disadvantages of disclosure or non-disclosure to the child of information on the fact of conception through egg donation (ovum donation) or sperm donation is mainly of pure theoretical value. We still know nothing about remote results. According to a number of authors, neither disclosure nor non-disclosure can negatively affect development of the child (Brewaeys, 1997; Giavazzi et al., 1996; Golombok et al., 1996).

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