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11 Minn. J.L. Sci. & Tech. 665 (2010)
"Knowing Where You Come from": The Rights of Donor-Conceived Individuals and the Meaning of Genetic Relatedness

handle is hein.journals/mipr11 and id is 667 raw text is: Ravitsky V. Knowing Where You Come From: The Rights of Donor-Conceived Individuals and the Meaning of Genetic Relatedness. Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology. 2010;11(2):655-84. Knowing Where You Come From: The Rights of Donor-Conceived Individuals and the Meaning of Genetic Relatedness Vardit Ravitsky* I. INTRODUCTION The use of donor sperm or donor eggs allows prospective parents to overcome the obstacle of infertility and bring into the world a child that is genetically related to one of them, while still being able to experience pregnancy and childbirth. The first generation of donor-conceived offspring is now becoming young adults who are beginning to share their unique perspectives. Many are telling a story of psychological distress. They describe a strong need to know where they came from; to know their genetic origins as an essential part of constructing their identities. Most fertility experts did not anticipate this outcome. They focused on their patients, helping them create the families they desired while perceiving the donor as a mere means in the process.' The interests of donor-conceived offspring in accessing information about donors have initially been a neglected element in the thriving practice of gamete donations. This trend was maintained because most donors wish to remain anonymous and have no intention of establishing a relationship with offspring, and most parents choose to keep the circumstances of conception secret. © 2010 Vardit Ravitsky. * Vardit Ravitsky is faculty at the University of Montreal and a fellow at the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she was a fellow at the Department of Clinical Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The author would like to thank Shane Morris and Shane Green for stimulating conversations on the issues discussed in this paper. 1. A. McWhinnie, Gamete Donation and Anonymity: Should Offspring from Donated Gametes Continue To Be Denied Knowledge of Their Origins and Antecedents?, 16 HUM. REPROD. 807, 807 (2001). 665

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