A comparative study of attitudes towards donor insemination and egg donation in recipientspotential donors and the public

Attitudes towards egg donation and sperm donation were compared in four groups of subjects: patients receiving egg donationpatients receiving sperm donationpotential egg donors and a general population control group. Subjects were generally in favor of gamete donation as a treatment for infertilitywith patients having more positive attitudes than the general publicand recipients more in favor than donors. Whilst egg donation appears to be as acceptable as sperm donationthere were some differences in attitudes towards the two types of gamete donation. Subjects overall were more in favor of donor anonymity for sperm donation than for egg donationand the sperm recipients were more in favor of donor anonymity than egg recipients. Subjects demonstrated uncertainty on the issue of giving information to children conceived by gamete donationbut held positive attitudes towards the counseling of both donors and recipients. These results are considered in the light of current debate about gamete donation in the UK. ...