Abstract
Allusions to third-party reproduction have existed since biblical times when Sarah and Abraham used Hagar as their surrogate to beget Ishmael. Surrogacy has come a long way since then; today it is a global business. Sperm donation has also been used since biblical days and has since evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry. Ovum donation is a relative newcomer to third-party reproduction, but its use has grown quickly since its introduction in the 1980s.
Prior to the existence of commercial sperm banks, a medical student could produce a specimen and donate his sperm with reasonable assurance of his anonymity since the physician performing the insemination brokered the arrangement. The introduction of commercial sperm banks and egg donor “agencies” (groups that recruit donors and match them with recipients) redefined identity privacy. It took the control of the identity of sperm donors out of the medical professionals’ hands and opened the door to information sharing and identification. What promoted the changes in gamete donation and anonymity?
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Braverman, A.M. (2013). Defining, Understanding, and Managing the Complex Psychological Aspects of Third-Party Reproduction. In: Sauer, M. (eds) Principles of Oocyte and Embryo Donation. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2392-7_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2392-7_14
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