Genetic Screening of Sperm and Oocyte Donors: Ethical and Policy Implications

Family formation through the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has increased steadily since the introduction of in vitro fertilization in 1978. Here, Daar and Brzyski comment on a study done by Maron et al reporting the case of a male donor who unwittingly transmitted hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a hereditary and potentially lethal cardiac anomaly, to offspring whose parents obtained his donor sperm from a commercial sperm bank. They point out that this study presents a strong counterargument, which states that enhanced screening, as suggested by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and simple diagnostics such as electrocardiogram, are in the public's best interest. They stress that adding baseline genetic screening to current US FDA regulations and establishing a voluntary registry of gamete donors are sensible enhancements to a field historically vigilant of offspring health and patient confidence.