The first birth of a child conceived through ovum donation occurred in 1984. This important milestone ushered in a new era of infertility treatments which have given hope to women unable to achieve a pregnancy because of premature ovarian failure, poor egg quality, cancer treatments or menopause.

In ovum donation, assisted reproductive technologies are used to fertilize donated eggs that are then transferred to the uterus of a recipient. For thousands of couples, ovum donation offers an alternative to involuntary childlessness, adoption, or surrogacy. Mothers can experience preg-nancy while in many cases the child is genetically related to their partner. With more couples choosing this option, a greater number of children are now born through ovum donation each year.

Considering ovum donation

Preparing to parent this way often involves deciding whether to disclose this fact or keep it a secret, to choose between openness and privacy. Prospective parents often wonder if they should tell family and friends about this treatment option they are pursuing. And, if they do tell, what will others knowing about this mean now and in the future? More importantly, they won-der if children born through ovum donation should be told. And, if they are told, how will they feel? Because there has been little practical research showing that telling--or not telling--chil-dren about their genetic origins is detrimental, parents must weigh their values and use avail-able knowledge to reach a decision.