A Historical Study on the implementation of Artificial Insemination by Donor in Japan

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21952
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0101:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: The Health Care Science Institute
• Principal Investigator: Hideki Yui 公益財団法人医療科学研究所, 研究員育成委員会, 研究員 (40734984)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 非配偶者間人工授精 / フォローアップ調査 / 提供者保護

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined the past practice of artificial insemination by donor (AID) in Japan. It is well known that AID was started in 1948, but to date, at least 60 facilities have been found to have performed the procedure.
Medical doctors were conducting follow-up surveys of the children to defend the procedure. This study analyzed the follow-up surveys and showed that these surveys were used as evidence of the child's "superiority."
This study also examined who and how the sperm donor role was played in the case of AID. It is well known that medical students have been the main donors, but they were not actively involved in the donation process.

Free Research Field

科学史、生命倫理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の主な意義は、第一に、AID及びフォローアップ調査が積極的優生学の意図をもって実施されてきたことを示したことで、障害者への強制断種など、消極的優生学としての側面を中心的に論じてきた日本の優生学史研究に補助線を引いたことである。第二に、医学生たちが積極的に提供に応じてきたわけではないことを示し、生殖補助技術の法規制をめぐる議論に提供者保護の視点を組み込むことが重要であることを示唆した点である。