Fertility doctors will approve in vitro fertilization using sperm and ovum from a donor other than the recipient's spouse, including family members and acquaintances, members of the group said Saturday.
The Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine will compile a guideline for the fertilization treatment around March, they said.
While the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to which most obstetricians belong, remains reluctant to use such treatment, childbirths using the treatment have been reported, and it is believed some couples are receiving sperm and ovum from overseas.
Under the group's plan, candidates for the treatment are people who are not able to have children using their own sperm and ovum. Children born through the treatment would be allowed to know the names of the donors if they want to after they reach a certain age.
"It is unacceptable, judging from our professional ethics, to leave this issue unsolved," said Osamu Ishihara, professor at Saitama Medical University who leads the ethics committee of the group.
"We believe it is necessary to establish an appropriate rule to address it," Ishihara said.