Disclosure decisions among known and anonymous egg donor recipients

The path to parenthood for some couples includes egg donation. Since the first report of a successful egg donation pregnancy over 25 years ago, the possibility of pregnancy and parenthood for women with premature ovarian failure, genetically heritable diseases, advanced maternal age, and other previously insurmountable conditions has become a reality. Egg donation has undergone substantial growth in the past 15 years. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART)/American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 1995 report indicated the initiation of 3,555 donor cycles, with 1,451 pregnancies and 1,206 deliveries. By comparison, the 2008 SART/ASRM/CDC statistics reported 11,777 donor cycles initiated, with 6,843 pregnancies and 5,894 live births. The rapid growth in the use of donor eggs has prompted an examination of the social and psychological aspects of this distinctive route to parenthood. As prospective parents consider egg donation treatment, they must consider many unique aspects of parenting related to egg donation. One of the many decisions in the transition to parenthood among egg donor recipients is the question of disclosure regarding the egg donor origin of the child. The decision to disclose to others in the social support network and, most importantly, to the child is based on many factors. The purpose of this chapter is to review the literature on disclosure among egg donation recipients and to discuss the clinical implications of these findings.