A landmark B.C. Supreme Court ruling has granted donor-conceived adults the same rights to information about themselves as adoptees already have.
On May 19th, 2011, thankfully a door opened that had long been closed in North America. The Supreme Court of British Columbia ruled in favour of Olivia Pratten, a 29-year-old Canadian woman conceived from the sperm of an anonymous man, who had argued that B.C.’s laws discriminate against the offspring of sperm and egg donors.
After undergoing a successful round of IVF (in vitro fertilization) resulting in the birth of their daughter and then having a second child born without medical intervention, Leah Hendrick* and her husband decided their family was complete. However, they were now faced with a dilemma – what should they do with the 12 frozen embryos they had in storage?
These interviews were conducted by Veronique Robert between September 22nd and October 15th, 2010. Doctors and patients share their views on the new funding program in Quebec and reveal its undeniable success.
If I remember Grade 9 biology accurately, there are only three essential ingredients required in order to conceive a child: one egg, one sperm and a uterus. Mathematically, the permutations and combinations of mixing and matching these three basic ingredients should lead to a finite number of possibilities of parentage. Clearly, mathematicians have no place in the field of infertility, as my experience has shown that the possibilities are actually endless. How many different ways can you create a family? Here’s one that your neighbour hasn’t thought of!
The use of donor gametes – donated sperm and eggs – in assisted reproduction is a rapidly evolving practice. As a result, several regulations and best practice guidelines have been developed to ensure the safety and best interest of all parties involved, especially those of the donor offspring. Perhaps one of the most significant changes in Canada was the enactment of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act (AHRA) in 2004. ...
Editor Véronique Robert interviews Dr. Louise Lapensée of OVO Fertility in Montreal on the newly-implemented assisted reproduction funding program in Quebec.
In the run up to last year’s provincial election in Québec, all the major political parties had promised funding for assisted reproductive technologies (ART) through the Québec provincial healthcare plan (RAMQ) as part of their pre-election platform. Therefore, following the election of the Parti Libéral du Québec in December 2008, plans have continued to turn this election promise into a reality.
by Dr. Mathias Gysler [...] The World Health Organization has defined the right to have children as a basic human right and a health issue. All provinces in Canada accept infertility as a medical disorder, and therefore the diagnostic investigation and many aspects of the medical and surgical treatment of infertility are in fact covered by the different provincial insurance plans. So why is in vitro fertilization (IVF) not included? [...]