Xytex Corporation, California Cryobank and Fairfax Cryobank have recently teamed to head up a proposal for a national donor registry.
According to Kevin O’Brien, President of Xytex Corporation, the country’s top three banks have met with other sperm and egg banks, family legal experts, physicians, industry groups and counselors from across the U.S. to discuss how a registry like this could be created, what it would contain and how it would be managed.
“There are a number of benefits to creating a registry like this,” said O’Brien. “The primary purpose would be so that every donor record could be kept and maintained, in order to preserve the records linking a child to his or her genetic origins. In addition, the registry would collect and store medical information on donors. This way, even if a program should close, this valuable information is never lost.”
Countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia have issued government mandates to create a national registry. According to O’Brien, the U.S.’s top three sperm banks decided to move proactively, ahead of a government mandate. “Such mandates in other countries have led to a loss of donor anonymity, which could have a detrimental effect on the willingness of donors to participate in our programs,” said O’Brien. “While many of our donors choose to participate in our Identity Disclosure program, we must continue to respect and honor the requests for privacy both from donors and families.” Xytex’s Identity Disclosure program puts a child in contact with his or her donor upon request at age 18.
Oversight of the non-profit registry would be handled by a board of directors elected by members, made up of both sperm and egg donor agencies, family legal experts, physicians, industry groups and counselors. Requests for specific information would continue to be directed to the sperm or egg donor agency, as long as it is still in existence. “Because of the close relationship that banks have with both donors and families, the sperm or egg bank will remain the main contact and information source,” said O’Brien.
While the proposal continues to be under discussion, O’Brien anticipates that the registry should be ready to launch within the year. “This is a priority for us as a community,” he said. “Our founder, Dr. Armand Karow, who passed away last year, began the discussion of this registry a few years ago. This was a dream he had, and we’re pleased to work together to make it a reality.”
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