The Ethical Sperm Bank: An All-Open Sperm Bank. An Idea Whose Time Has Come

The Ethical Sperm Bank: An All-Open Sperm Bank. An Idea Whose Time Has Come

A cultural phenomenon is growing these days in the world of gamete donation. The voices of the donor-conceived are growing louder and clearer, and the vast majority express that knowing or having known the identity of their donors is better than not knowing, psychologically-speaking. From actively listening to them, we learn that having a complete sense of one's biological origins fosters a more whole identity, which can positively impact self-confidence (not to mention the importance of knowing one's family medical history). They also prefer knowing and connecting with their half-siblings, just as anyone would want to know their first-degree genetic relatives. Furthermore, the vast majority of surveyed donors show that they not only think about the children they've helped to create, but also indicate a strong preference toward being able to know them. The extant research corroborates these experiences (DSR, 2015).