Research shows conservative attitudes toward donor identity in Brazil

The child's right to know versus the parents' right not to tell: The attitudes of couples undergoing fertility treatments towards identity-release gamete donation (Rocha, 2023)

Rocha, D. O., Melamed, R. M. M., Braga, D. P. A. F., Setti, A. S., Iaconelli Jr., A., & Borges Jr., E. (2023). The child's right to know versus the parents' right not to tell: The attitudes of couples undergoing fertility treatments towards identity-release gamete donation. Journal of Reproduction & Infertility, 24(3), 198-205. https://doi.org/10.18502/jri.v24i3.13276

Geographic Region: Brazil

Research Question: Do couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) in Brazil have different perceptions of anonymous versus identity-release gamete donation compared to the general population?

Design: Online survey fielded for 3.5 months in late 2020.

Sample: Total sample size: 500 participants. 400 participants were undergoing fertility treatments. 100 participants who accessed fertility center website, but were not undergoing treatment. Of the 400 ART participants, 11.5% completed sperm donation cycles and 10% completed egg donation cycles.

Key Findings

• Most participants in both groups (>80%) believed family relationships would be affected by disclosure of donor conception.

• ART patients were significantly more likely to oppose donor identity disclosure (65%) compared to the general population group (51%).

• Among those supporting disclosure, most preferred revealing information only if the child questions their biological origin (67%). Only about 20% supported disclosure from birth.

• No significant differences were found between attitudes toward sperm versus egg donation disclosure.

Limitations: No verification of website participants' actual involvement with infertility/ART. Unable to conduct face-to-face interviews. Possible selection bias in online recruitment.

Applications: Highlights ongoing challenges in accessing genetic origin information in countries with mandatory anonymity

Funding Source: Not explicitly stated

Lead Author: Douglas Oliveira Rocha is a Researcher at Associação Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Assistida in São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on attitudes and perspectives in assisted reproduction.

Regulatory Context:

• Brazil maintains mandatory donor anonymity as per National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) regulations in December 2022. It requires strict confidentiality of all donor information.

• The Children’s Act gives all children the right to know their genetic identity by filing a lawsuit.