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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Hannah Devlin Science correspondent

UK fertility watchdog could recommend scrapping donor anonymity law

Illustration of in vitro fertilisation
Illustration of in vitro fertilisation. Lifting anonymity from birth would pave the way for the possibility of more contact between donors, donor-conceived people and their parents. Photograph: Sebastian Kaulitzki/Alamy

The fertility watchdog is considering whether to recommend scrapping anonymity for future sperm and egg donors as part of an expected overhaul of UK fertility laws.

Peter Thompson, the chief executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said the rapid rise of consumer genetic testing websites such as 23andMe could soon make it impossible to guarantee donor anonymity – and that the law needs to be brought into line with this new reality.

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