Rationale for the proposal The current family gamete donation and embryo donation guidelines both refer to the risk of coercion. An important aspect of informed consent regarding donation between family members is that the decision to donate is made voluntarily. While all current guidelines require ECART to consider the matter of informed consent, we believe the guidelines should go further to require consideration of any circumstances that may have unduly influenced a donor or surrogate. Our proposal is consistent with Right 2 of the Code (Right to Freedom from Discrimination, Coercion, Harassment, and Exploitation). Right 2 says that every consumer has the right to be free from discrimination, coercion, harassment and sexual, financial or other exploitation. Impact of the proposal Applications to ECART already include considerable information about the relationship between the parties involved. The provision would signal that applications should explicitly address any circumstances that might give rise to a person feeling obliged to be a donor or surrogate. Question 6: Taking account of potential coercion ACART is proposing that ECART should take account of any factors in a relationship that might give rise to coercion or unduly influence the consent of a donor or surrogate to a procedure. Do you agree? Yes/No Please give reasons for your Number of families with full genetic siblings The current embryo donation guidelines and the guidelines for the use of donated eggs with donated sperm both require that full genetic siblings be limited to no more than two families. Section 1.11.1(i) of the Fertility Services Standard requires that donated gametes and the embryos created from them shall not be used for treatment once children have been born to the number of families specified in the relevant guidelines or legislation. Our proposal to rescind the biological link policy, coupled with our proposal (discussed later) that ECART should be able to approve the donation of embryos created with donated gametes, has the potential to increase the complexity of resulting relationships. Therefore, we propose a general provision requiring full genetic siblings should exist in no more than two families.
Rationale for the proposal The current family gamete donation and embryo donation guidelines both refer to the risk of coercion. An important aspect of informed consent regarding donation between family members is that the decision to donate is made voluntarily. While all current guidelines require ECART to consider the matter of informed consent, we believe the guidelines should go further to require consideration of any circumstances that may have unduly influenced a donor or surrogate. Our proposal is consistent with Right 2 of the Code (Right to Freedom from Discrimination, Coercion, Harassment, and Exploitation). Right 2 says that every consumer has the right to be free from discrimination, coercion, harassment and sexual, financial or other exploitation. Impact of the proposal Applications to ECART already include considerable information about the relationship between the parties involved. The provision would signal that applications should explicitly address any circumstances that might give rise to a person feeling obliged to be a donor or surrogate. Question 6: Taking account of potential coercion ACART is proposing that ECART should take account of any factors in a relationship that might give rise to coercion or unduly influence the consent of a donor or surrogate to a procedure. Do you agree? Yes/No Please give reasons for your Number of families with full genetic siblings The current embryo donation guidelines and the guidelines for the use of donated eggs with donated sperm both require that full genetic siblings be limited to no more than two families. Section 1.11.1(i) of the Fertility Services Standard requires that donated gametes and the embryos created from them shall not be used for treatment once children have been born to the number of families specified in the relevant guidelines or legislation. Our proposal to rescind the biological link policy, coupled with our proposal (discussed later) that ECART should be able to approve the donation of embryos created with donated gametes, has the potential to increase the complexity of resulting relationships. Therefore, we propose a general provision requiring full genetic siblings should exist in no more than two families.