News
The article is more than 16 years old

Fertility Law Causes Drop in Egg Cell Donors

The number of egg cell donors has plummeted since a law came into effect which removed the donors' right to anonymity. The newspaper Helsingin Sanomat says that in some cities, the number of donors has dropped by half.

In September, a new law began requiring that the identities of egg and sperm donors be stored in a registry. Children born through these donations are now allowed access to the registry to track down the donors.

The steepest decline in donors was seen in fertility clinics in Kuopio, Jyväskylä, and parts of the capital city. In other places, like Tampere and Turku, the number of egg donors dropped for a while in the autumn, but has been climbing back up to normal.

Another reason which may be contributing to the decline of donors is the drop in compensation. Before the new law, some clinics paid as much as 600 euros, but now donors can get only 250 euros plus compensation for any expenses incurred.

Sources: YLE