Gaia Bernstein writes:
Egg and sperm donations are an integral part of the infertility industry. The donors are usually young men and women who donate relying on the promise of anonymity. This is the norm in the United States. But, internationally things are changing. A growing number of countries have prohibited egg and sperm donor anonymity. This usually means that when the child who was conceived by egg or sperm donation reaches the age of eighteen he can receive the identifying information of the donor and meet his genetic parent.
An expanding movement of commentators is advocating a shift in the United States to an open identity model, which will prohibit anonymity.
Read more on Concurring Opinions. Gaia’s research should inform any discussion of the merits of eliminating anonymity, but I fear that lobbying by those who want to know the identity of their genetic parents will be more persuasive with members of Congress than scientific data.