P-722 Ending the anonymity of egg donors in shared donation programs could reduce the number of participants
Authors: Espirito Santo E , Petersen C.G , Massaro F.C , Petersen B , Vagnini L , Nicoletti A , Ricci J , Zamara C , Dieamant F , Oliani A.H , Oliveira J.B.A , Franco J.G. 
Published: June 2022

Study question

Loss of egg donor anonymity could affect shared donation programs in Brazil?

Summary answer

Yes. Approximately 20% of the women who participated in this study would drop out of the program, especially those with higher incomes.

What is known already

The Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine seems to be increasingly flexible with regard to maintaining mandatory secrecy on the identity of donors. The resolution regarding assisted reproduction techniques, approved in 2021, concerns the possibility of donation between family members, up to fourth degree relatives. The possibility to know and have access to this identity or even the search for half-brothers can be a reality in many countries for children born through access to reproductive technology but the opinion or behaviour of this population about the presence or absence of anonymity is limited to a few studies.

Study design, size, duration

Women (n = 800) who applied for enrolment in the shared egg donation program at a private IVF clinic were invited to participate in an electronic survey developed using the online Survio® tool. The invitation to participate was sent by email from June to November 2021. 279 women (34.8%, 20-35 years) responded to the survey.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The information was obtained through questioning and gaining information about: socioeconomic profile of the donors, their motives, ambivalence in relation to the sharing of eggs and feelings about a possible end of anonymity. Thereafter, answers given to 10 specific questions were recorded. Furthermore, a correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between acceptance of the end of donor anonymity and various study parameters.

Main results and the role of chance

Approximately 61% of patients would want to become egg donors for two reasons: to reduce IVF costs and to help another woman. However, significantly younger women want to be part of the egg donation program just to reduce their treatment costs (P &lt; 0.05). Approximately 71% of women do not want any contact with the child born from their eggs; 69% of them would not like to meet the recipients and 75% would not like to meet the child, even if only the recipient had become pregnant. If donors lost a child, they would not even want to meet the child who was born with their donated eggs (76%).

Most participants also responded that they would be in the program even if the anonymity was not maintained (80%). However, women with higher income would drop out of the program if donor anonymity was not maintained (56.3%) compared to women with lower income (13.5%;P &lt; 0.001).

Limitations, reasons for caution

Confounding variables related to the male partner's opinion cannot be excluded. Studies with larger samples are needed to confirm these findings.

Wider implications of the findings

A possible end to the anonymity of egg donors in Brazil would pose numerous challenges to the current practice of gamete donation. These concerns give rise to a broad discussion in society about how best to safeguard and promote the interests of donor-conceived children and protect the rights of donors.

Trial registration number

Not applicable.