Entre Nous Sperm Donation

Jackson there. Well, it's time now for our Entre Nous segment. And here in France, today

marks the end of an anonymous sperm and egg donations. And we're joined by Solange Mugin

who's going to tell us more about this. End then of an era for anonymous sperm and egg donations

Tell us more. What's happening? Well, today marks the deadline for basically all of the older sperm

in France that was given anonymously. It'll now be trashed and thrown out as it can no longer be

given to women who are on the waiting list. And that waiting list is a very long one. I'll explain

why in a minute. These are women who are trying to get pregnant. The deadline also applies to

egg donations as well. But that stock was, egg donations that were given anonymously, all of that

stock has been used already. So it's a bit of a moot point here. But as for the sperm, there are

thousands of vials that will now be binned or trashed. So why is France doing this, especially

considering that this waiting list for medical help to have a child is so long? Well, the move

is part of a phasing out of anonymous donations in France, which had been in place since the first

sperm bakes were created here in 1973. And essentially, the rules have changed, and these

new rules are now going to be applied starting now. In 2021, after much debate and protests

and amendments, France passed a major piece of legislation about medically assisted reproduction

In France, this is called PMA, or Procreation Medicalement Assistée. And that legislation allowed for a number of changes

Not only heterosexual couples, but also single women and lesbian couples could now seek help through PMA

for example, with IVF or in vitro treatments, and also other methods medically to have a child

It also created new rules about donations stripping the possibility of full anonymity as part of this 2021 bioethics law This is something that de facto actually had already been happening because websites can now trace a person DNA

and quite often find out or get close to finding out who a biological parent is

As our reporters found out prior to the lifting of this anonymity

through this law, actually knowing who your donor is, simply their name, for example, or their medical history

it can be a lifelong existential quest. That presents a constant question mark in my mind, one that's been there since my conception

I know the sperm donor is part of me, but I don't know what he passed on

The little game everyone plays with their parents is to know, hey, I take after dad in this way

The question remains unanswered for me. My father was able to transmit through his presence through nurture

But in regard to nature, what did my donor transmit? So, Solange, why is this happening now and not when they passed this law

Well, this is actually the end of the transition period. France couldn't simply tell the over 30 sperm banks in the country to wipe the site clean and start with new donors, sperm and eggs. That would have made the waiting list skyrocket even more than it already has

Already the average wait time for sperm is around a year and it can even be two years wait for egg donations

It depends on a number of factors but that time waiting for a donor is incredibly difficult for people and for families

So what the government did instead is they began receiving new donations under the new law where the donors would sign documents accepting the lifting, the potential lifting of anonymity under specific guidelines

and I'll explain what they are in one second. All the while using the older stock and getting

most of it through. But as of today, the use of those anonymous donations ends. And there is

of course actually an exception to that that was made actually at the last minute Under the law frozen embryos were also slated to be destroyed But a number of doctors they expressed their outrage at this that those embryos they say belong to the couples they argued

that with embryos you can't change the rules mid-course with time ticking down the french

health body decided earlier this month that those embryos so fertilized eggs they would not be

destroyed even if the donor was anonymous and thus will remain anonymous in those cases and and this

has all created some anger on both sides because there are activists, fertility groups, and people

who were born through the use of a donor. Tell us about that. Well, this issue of anonymous

donation is a prickly one for France, but also for many other nations, because as the European

Union says in its directive on this, such questions are a balancing act of different rights

the rights of the person born from a donor to know their genetic history and heritage

the rights of the parents to raise that child with full or no disclosure about how they had the child

and then the rights also of the donor to remain removed or not from the person who has become a person

In any case, France decided, like a number of countries, to lift anonymity

but that does not mean it is a free-for-all with anything being able to happen

The new rules remain quite strict. First, as I mentioned, since September 2022, all donors now give, knowing their name, their age, where they were born, their physical characteristics, they can be given out on request by the child when they become an adult

And it is only, and this is where the strict part comes in, it is only that person who was made from the donor egg or sperm that can request the information, and they can only do so as an adult starting at the age of 18

The parents, for example, cannot make the request. Also this is important the person who donated has no legal obligation to respond to such a request for information or to pursue a relationship or even contact with the child turned adult Legally they do not become a parent because

of this donation. And there has been a fear that lifting this anonymity would in some way harm the

number of donations fewer people would donate. Yeah, initially, initial figures show that the

lifting of anonymity actually has not created a sudden drop in donations. But France still does not

have enough sperm or eggs. And this despite donation campaigns, public service announcements

and slogans. Not enough people give. People continue to travel abroad for help here in

France, notably places to places like Spain and Greece. This was actually the main option for

single and lesbian women prior to this bioethics law. But even today, because of long waiting lists

many people travel abroad for treatment. In France, unlike in some nations, it is illegal to receive

money for donations. You can't give to a specific person either. For sperm, the basic rules are you

have to be between, to give sperm, you have to be between 18 and 45, not have sexually transmitted

diseases, be tested for other things. Also, one person's sperm can only be used 10 times to avoid

risks that we have actually seen in previous cases in other countries of co-sanguinity

For eggs, it's even trickier because it does require hormonal treatments for the donor

But the gift is incredible. It allows people who otherwise wouldn't be able to have children

to have them. And that is particularly important as there are thought to be some 3.3 million cases

of infertility in France. And so it is a wonderful gift if you can give it

Really interesting. Thanks very much, Solange. Solange Mougin there with that look at the situation

for sperm and egg donations here in France