What factors affect individual choices when egg recipient chooses a donor? How do policies and views of the family relate to this decision? In this paper, we focus on egg donation, analyzing the personal choices and motives of recipients, based on interviews of egg recipients living in Japan. In Japan, assisted reproductive technology has long been practiced in the absence of legislation, however, a new act established the filiation of donor conceived people at the end of 2020. With the passage of this act, some argue that ART involving third party donation has actually been approved. So far egg donation is rare, and those who wish to have this procedure often choose to engage in reproductive tourism. These recipients are gathering information on their own, in the absence of an established system, and then making the decision to undergo egg donation. Since 2019, we conducted interviews with egg recipients. Among 9 interviewees, 5 received their donated eggs in foreign countries, while 4 received them in Japan. Some have information about the donor, while others’ donors are anonymous, but many are proactive about telling their children about the donation. Based on interview data, we will examine how they chose the place to receive eggs, and what criteria was important to them when choosing a donor. The data indicates that even though they consider it important that children have a right to know their donor’s information, access to open donors is not always possible, and in certain cases, anonymous donors are chosen.

Authors:
Minori Kokado, Osaka University, Japan
Hyunsoo Hong, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan
Azumi Tsuge, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Minori Kokado is currently an Associate Professor of STS (Science, Technology and Society) at Graduate School of Humanities, Osaka University, Japan.

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