Openness of information in the use of donor gametes: Developments in New Zealand

Abstract

A committee appointed by the New Zealand Government to inquire into developments in assisted human reproduction recommended in their 1994 report that all offspring born following the donation of embryos or gametes should have access to identifying donor information. This paper presents the Committee's conclusions, along with a description of current attitudes and practices in New Zealand. Sweden and New Zealand have, until recently, been the only two countries in the world that have adopted the ‘openness’ approach. Some brief comparisons are made between the approaches followed in these two countries.