Central role of altruism in the recruitment of gamete donors

Monash Bioethics Review
Guido Pennings

Abstract

This paper explores problems associated with using altruism as the central value in gamete donation, and in doing so draws on empirical data that sheds light on why gamete donors choose to donate. Donation of bodily material is, arguably, supposed to be motivated by altruism, and this is the view taken by many European governments. Other values are often ignored or rejected as morally inappropriate. This paper analyses some conceptual and practical problems with the use of altruism as the motivation to determine moral acceptability-drawing on empirical data that suggests gamete donors are not motivated purely by altruism, and that motivations are in fact quite complex. Two problems are first analysed: (1) how do we distinguish altruistic from non-altruistic donations and (2) how do we distinguish between removing barriers and providing incentives. A final question, triggered by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics' report, is whether the meaning of the payment should be decided on the basis of an a priori definition or on the basis of the donors' subjective experience. It is concluded that there are different legitimate core values in donation, which should be balanced. In order to value the good generated by donation, donors with...Continue Reading

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Jul 6, 2006·Reproductive Biomedicine Online·Guido Pennings, Paul Devroey
Oct 30, 2007·Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynaecology·Guido Pennings
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Citations

Aug 30, 2018·Sociology of Health & Illness·Rhonda M Shaw
Nov 18, 2019·Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics·C SamorinhaS Silva
May 16, 2018·Human Reproduction Update·E M KoolA L Bredenoord
Mar 28, 2020·Culture, Health & Sexuality·Michiel De ProostVeerle Provoost
Jan 7, 2021·Journal of Medical Ethics·Alex Polyakov, Genia Rozen
Apr 15, 2020·Gynécologie, Obstétrique, Fertilité & Sénologie·M KretzJ De Mouzon
Nov 20, 2021·Human Fertility : Journal of the British Fertility Society·Sonja GoedekeRebecca Thurlow

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