Legalities Associated with Egg Donation

Infertility is the primary impetus for using egg donations since there are several conditions that contribute to infertility, which involve egg production and maturation.

Laws are different in each state, and in each country, related to donating eggs, including anonymity of donors, use of surrogates and the ability of children conceived with donor eggs to contact the donors upon reaching maturity. For example:

• California does not recognize egg donors as having any legal rights with regards to the offspring produced with their donations. Egg donors cannot claim legal rights of parenthood, unless the mother and father do not claim their parenting rights. This applies also to children born to gay parents.
• In England, donors are facing changes in that laws that will prohibit them from being anonymous in their donations. This has adversely affected the donor supply, since many people do not wish to be contacted by the children they assist to conceive. This also raises legal issues of rights of the offspring to money or property, based solely on their genetic connection to the donor.