Lawmakers are on the cusp of kicking off deliberations on a bill introducing legal provisions on the right to know one’s genetic origins for children conceived through artificial insemination by donor (AID), raising the thorny question of when they can access donor information, and to what extent.
The assisted reproductive tech bill, submitted to the Upper House on Feb. 5 by lawmakers from four parties — the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its coalition partner, Komeito, and opposition parties Nippon Ishin no Kai and the Democratic Party for the People — will become the first piece of legislation covering donor information since the country’s first AID procedure was performed in 1948.
The bill stipulates that donor-conceived individuals, upon turning 18, may have access to information concerning the height, blood types and ages of the donors. The disclosure of additional information requires the permission of the donors.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.