Press releases
Children’s needs crucial to Embryology Bill
Issued: 9 May 2008
The Government is being urged to address the information needs and rights of all donor conceived people during the current debate on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (2nd reading 12th May 2008).
The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) welcomed the Government’s decision in 2004 to remove donor anonymity for children born after April 2005. However the charity claims thousands of people born as a result of donor assisted conception still remain unaware they were donor conceived. Further action is needed to encourage parents to tell their children of their genetic origins.
With the growth of knowledge of genetically related diseases and genetic mapping, not having information about genetic origins could jeopardise the future health and well-being of the donor conceived individual as well as increase the risk of committing incest unwittingly.
The charity claims that there are important lessons to learn from adoption. Parenting a child who is not genetically related raises unique issues and these should be acknowledged in legislation. Experience proves how distressing it can be for people to discover that their genetic identity has been kept secret. And our increasing knowledge of genetic disorders makes it even more crucial that these children know of their origins.
Julia Feast, BAAF Policy Research & Development Consultant, says:
“The Government has shown its commitment to the life-long needs of these children by lifting donor anonymity. Through the other proposals in this Bill they are also making provision to enable donor conceived people to know about siblings. But these new rights to information mean nothing unless a child knows they were donor-conceived.
We see there is a stigma surrounding donor-conceived births reminiscent of attitudes to adoption 30 or 40 years ago. Today, families come in all shapes and sizes and any new law should actively support parents and encourage openness."
BAAF is calling for:
- An urgent overhaul/review of the Birth Registration system so that all people, including donor conceived people will know whether or not they are genetically related to their parents;
- The introduction of compulsory information and preparation sessions for prospective parents. These sessions would help parents to think through why being open with children about their genetic identity really matters.
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Notes to editors:
- For more information, please call BAAF press office on 020 7421 2632/3 or email esther.freeman@baaf.org.uk. For out of hours enquiries, call the press office mobile on 07767 444 589.
- BAAF is a member of the Partnership Focus Group on the rights and life long needs of people created by donor assisted conception. The Partnership Focus Group is a coalition of organisations and individuals with a professional and personal commitment to promoting the welfare of children and believes that the welfare of the child, during their childhood and throughout their life, must be at the core of legislation governing the use of donated gametes to help prospective parents create families.
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