Lesbian intra-partner oocyte donation: A possible shake-upin the Garden of Eden?

Abstract

Treatment of same-sex couples using infertility therapies has become more acceptable over the years, but remains controversial. In December 2005, two law changes came into force in the UK that impact same-sex couples. Firstly, the Civil Partnership Act acknowledged legal relationships between same-sex couples; and secondly, the Adoption and Children Act allowed same-sex couples to adopt. In view of these law changes, it is timely to consider procreation in same-sex couples and, particularly, the possibility of intra-partner oocyte donation within a lesbian relationship. Such treatment would require one female partner to provide the oocyte and the other female partner to act as embryo recipient. The embryo(s) could be created using IVF with registered anonymous donor sperm. The novelty of allowing a lesbian couple to cause a pregnancy in this way could allow the recipient to give birth to a baby that was genetically related to her partner. If society finds this acceptable, intra-partner oocyte donation using donor sperm for IVF could successfully provide a family for lesbian couples, offering an alternative to individual donor insemination. The ethical aspects of the treatment are discussed.

Keywords:

• Lesbians
• oocyte donation
• recipient
• ethics
• reproductive law