Madam, - Your newspaper is to be commended for publishing three major articles on IVF. I am surprised that none of these articles raised the issue of the serious difficulties associated with IVF using donor sperm or ova.
Articles in the British press pointing to the distress experienced by, now, adult donor sperm children at not knowing who their genetic fathers were, have been confirmed by a recent judgment of the English High Court. In the case, lawyers acting for a 30 year old woman (of dual Australian and British citizenship) and a six year old girl (through her mother) argued successfully that the children's right to know their genetic background outweighed the fathers' right to anonymity.
The judge also stated that not to provide this information was in breach of Article 8 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights.
In the course of the case, the adult plaintiff likened her position to that of indigenous Australians who had been taken from their families and given for adoption to white parents. She said that like them she suffered from a crisis of identity that caused her to suffer socially, emotionally, medically and even spiritually.
Due to lack of regulation in this country the practice developed and it is now too late to change. But if parents who seek IVF were adequately informed of the trauma in the lives of a number of donor IVF children, many would not consider it.
The distinction between IVF using only the sperm and ova of the couple and using donor sperm or ova should be always highlighted.
I fear that in 20 years' time society will be shocked at what it willingly allowed and those around will hear the familiar words, "We did not know at the time the suffering it would cause". - Yours, etc.,
AÍLÍN DOYLE,
Crossgarvey,
Balkill Road,
Howth.