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While children are conceived with donated embryos, sperm or eggs, without knowing their history and their birth families hmm….I guess their proper title would be biological families since they were not involved in the birth. These children do not grow up as adoptees since there was not a legal adoption. They do still deal with some of the same issues and feelings that adoptees face.
These children do not have their medical history, biological connection, and knowledge of their beginnings just like adoptees. I would venture to guess that some of these children would also have a feeling of rejection or abandonment.
In New Zealand there is a plan to begin the adoption of IVF embryos. Excess embryos are donated to couples that are hoping to become parents. Couples and individuals that are seeking embryos, even sperm and eggs, for that matter have only been given general basic information (ex. hair and eye color, weight, height, age, education, basic medical information, career, etc.) concerning the donor.
Some New Zealand officials believe that embryos should be viewed as an adoption. The couple that is donating the embryos most likely has their own children which are full siblings to the embryos. Wow….what a large connection to ignore. The policy change allows couples donating their embryos to choose the recipients. This would allow as much openness as both couples feel comfortable with. Being open would not have to be a must of the embryo donation only an option. The child would also have information concerning their biological families without all of the secrecy.
The officials hope that by making embryo donation more like adoption will allow more couples to donate their embryos instead of destroying them. Could and should this carry over to sperm and egg donations? The children born from either of these donations also may have half siblings and biological connections to others. Don’t they deserve the same rights and opportunities as other children?
Do these individuals deserve rights to their biological information? Why are these children not viewed as adoptees? Could the reason be the involvement of money (more about this angle in the future)?
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