Research on How Other Countries Deal with the Conflict between Gamete Donor Anonymity and Donor Offspring Right to Know

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K00034
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 01010:Philosophy and ethics-related
• Research Institution: Ochanomizu University
• Principal Investigator: Semba Yukari お茶の水女子大学, ジェンダー研究所, 特任講師 (00565872)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 配偶子ドナー / 匿名性の廃止 / 出自を知る権利 / DI出生者 / 諸外国の法的対応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japan, the issue of donor anonymity is expected to be discussed more actively in the future due to the recent expansion of donor conception. Therefore, I conducted research on some foreign countries that have already guaranteed the right to obtain donor information for donor conceived people.
Although I was able to conduct field researches only in Denmark and Norway due to the spread of COVID-19, I proceeded with the research by literature review, document research and being provided information from researchers in some countries. Research results were presented at academic conferences (2 national and 2 international conferences), I wrote a chapter of an English book "Comparative Perspectives on Gender Equality in Japan and Norway: Same and Different?" with a Norwegian researcher and it was published in 2021, and I coordinated an international forum inviting DI conceived adults and researchers from abroad, and the forum was held in August 2021.

Free Research Field

生命倫理、ジェンダー

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本では、2000年前後から生殖補助医療に関連する法律の必要性が認識され、医療や法律、社会学や倫理学などの多くの分野の専門家が関わって、生殖補助医療に関する法整備に向けて議論されてきた。世界では提供配偶子での出生者の出自を知る権利（ドナーを知る権利）を重要な人権と認め、これを法で保障する国が増えているが、日本ではドナー情報の開示にはなかなか踏み出せないまま、20年近い歳月が経過した。DNA検査が普及し、ドナーの匿名性の維持もむずかしくなりつつあり、出自を知る権利についての法的対応がますます求められるようになる中、本研究を経て提示する情報は、法づくりの重要な材料となりると思われる。