One of the most significant decisions you’ll make on your egg donation journey is choosing between known and anonymous donation. This choice affects not only your experience as an intended parent or donor but also the life of any child born from the donation. Understanding the differences helps you make a decision that aligns with your values, comfort level, and your future child’s best interests.
In Canada, both known and anonymous egg donation options are available, along with a middle ground called semi-anonymous or open-ID donation. Each path offers distinct advantages and considerations worth exploring before you begin.
Understanding the Types of Egg Donation in Canada
Before diving into which option might suit you best, it helps to understand exactly what each type of egg donation arrangement involves.
Anonymous Egg Donation
Anonymous egg donation traditionally means the donor’s identity remains completely confidential. Intended parents receive non-identifying information about the donor, such as physical characteristics, medical history, educational background, and personal interests, but never learn who she is.
However, true anonymity has become increasingly difficult to maintain. The rise of consumer genetic testing services and social media means that donor-conceived individuals can often discover their donor’s identity through DNA databases, regardless of the original agreement. Many fertility professionals now acknowledge that complete anonymity may no longer be realistic in the long term.
Semi-Anonymous or Open-ID Egg Donation
Semi-anonymous donation, also known as open-ID donation, offers a middle path. Under this arrangement, intended parents don’t receive identifying information about the donor during the donation process. However, records are maintained so that any children born from the donation can access the donor’s identity once they reach 18 years of age.
This approach recognizes that while parents may prefer privacy, donor-conceived children often have a natural desire to learn about their genetic origins. At Fertility Match, all donors must be willing to meet any children born from their donation after age 18, ensuring the door remains open for future connection if the child desires it.
Known Egg Donation
Known egg donation involves both parties being aware of each other’s identities. The donor might be a friend, family member, or someone matched through an agency who agrees to an open relationship with the intended parents.
With known donation, both parties’ legal names appear in the egg donation contract, and the agreement specifies when and how contact may occur. This could range from immediate contact after donation to waiting until any resulting children reach adulthood.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Path
Several important considerations can help guide your decision between known and anonymous egg donation.
Your Child’s Future Needs
Research consistently shows that many donor-conceived people want to know about their genetic origins. While not every child will have this desire, many do. Some want medical information, others seek to understand their ethnic heritage, and some simply want to meet the person who helped bring them into existence.
Anonymous donation can sometimes create challenges for children who later develop an interest in their biological background. While anonymity might feel comfortable for parents, the shifting perspective toward openness in donation practices recognizes that a child’s right to know their origins may outweigh other considerations.
Semi-anonymous arrangements acknowledge this by preserving the option for future contact while maintaining privacy during the child’s early years. Known donation goes further by establishing a relationship from the start.
Emotional Considerations for Intended Parents
Your comfort level matters significantly in this decision. Some intended parents prefer the clear boundaries that anonymous donation provides. They may worry that knowing the donor could complicate family dynamics or create confusion about parental roles.
Others find comfort in knowing their donor personally. They appreciate being able to share information about the donor with their child and value having someone they can contact if medical questions arise later. Known donation often leads to meaningful relationships between families and donors.
If you’re unsure, consider how you might feel explaining your choice to your child when they’re older. Many intended parents find that thinking from their future child’s perspective helps clarify their preferences.
Relationship Dynamics in Known Donation
When the donor is a friend or family member, the existing relationship adds another layer of complexity. While having a sister or close friend donate can feel deeply meaningful, it requires careful navigation of boundaries.
Clear communication and comprehensive legal agreements become essential in these situations. The ovum donation agreement should outline expectations about the donor’s role, if any, in the child’s life. Will she be known as “Auntie” or remain more distant? How will holidays and family gatherings work?
Working with a fertility counsellor helps all parties explore these questions before proceeding. Honest conversations early in the process prevent misunderstandings and protect relationships.
Legal Considerations in Canada
Canadian law allows both known and anonymous egg donation, but legal agreements are strongly recommended regardless of which path you choose.
The Importance of Legal Agreements
Most Canadian fertility clinics require an egg donation agreement before proceeding with retrieval, especially for known donations. This agreement addresses several critical issues including intended parentage of any resulting children, the desired relationship between parties before, during, and after donation, how health information will be shared, reimbursement of the donor’s eligible expenses, and expectations about future contact.
It remains somewhat unclear in some provinces whether an egg donor might retain parental rights without a proper agreement in place. Having a comprehensive contract drafted by a fertility lawyer protects everyone involved and clarifies intentions from the start.
Independent Legal Advice
Both intended parents and donors should receive independent legal advice before signing any agreement. This means each party has their own lawyer who explains the contract’s terms and ensures they understand their rights and obligations.
While this may seem like an extra step, independent legal advice protects the interests of all parties and ensures the agreement will hold up if questions arise later.
The Donor’s Perspective
If you’re considering becoming a donor, the choice between known and anonymous donation affects your experience as well.
Privacy and Boundaries
Anonymous donation offers donors privacy and clear boundaries. You complete the donation knowing you’ve helped create a family without ongoing obligations or expectations for a relationship.
Known donation, by contrast, may involve maintaining some level of connection with the intended parents and potentially the child. While this can be rewarding, it requires comfort with a more involved relationship.
Impact on Your Own Life
Consider how known donation might affect your own family and future. If you eventually have children of your own, how will you explain your donation? Are you comfortable with potential half-siblings knowing about each other?
Semi-anonymous donation through a reputable egg donor agency often provides a thoughtful middle ground. You maintain privacy now but leave the door open for connection in the future if a donor-conceived person wishes to meet you.
Making the Decision: Questions to Ask Yourself
As you weigh your options, consider these questions.
For intended parents, think about how you’ll feel explaining your choice to your child as they grow up. Consider what level of information you’d want available if your child develops medical issues requiring genetic history. Ask yourself whether you’d feel comfortable having occasional contact with the donor, and whether you have a friend or family member you’d consider asking.
For donors, consider whether you’re comfortable with the possibility of a child seeking you out when they turn 18. Think about whether you have a close friend or family member who has asked you to donate. Ask yourself what level of ongoing involvement, if any, you’d be comfortable with.
How Fertility Match Approaches Donation Types
Understanding how agencies handle these different arrangements can help you make an informed choice.
At Fertility Match, we’ve never facilitated a fully anonymous donation. All donors in our program agree to be willing to meet any children born from their donation after age 18. We believe this approach respects both the donor’s privacy during the donation process and the child’s potential future interest in their origins.
We also facilitate known donations where intended parents and donors can meet at any time if both parties wish. The level of contact is determined by what everyone involved is comfortable with and documented in the legal agreement.
You can explore available donors through our egg donor database and filter based on donation preferences to find someone whose approach aligns with yours.
The Trend Toward Openness
The fertility industry has seen a significant shift toward more openness in donation practices over recent decades. This trend reflects growing recognition of donor-conceived people’s perspectives and needs.
Countries like the UK and Sweden have banned anonymous donation entirely, requiring that donor-conceived individuals have access to their donor’s identity upon reaching adulthood. While Canada hasn’t enacted similar requirements federally, the Pratten case in British Columbia challenged anonymous donation practices, and many experts believe future legislation may move in this direction.
Consumer genetic testing has also changed the landscape permanently. Services like AncestryDNA and 23andMe mean that donor-conceived people can often identify donors or half-siblings through DNA matching, regardless of original anonymity agreements.
Given these realities, many families now opt for semi-anonymous or known arrangements from the start, recognizing that true anonymity may not be achievable long-term anyway.
Support Throughout Your Journey
Whatever type of donation you choose, having proper support makes the process smoother. Working with experienced fertility consultants ensures you understand your options and can make decisions that feel right for your family.
Counselling with a fertility specialist helps intended parents and donors explore their feelings about different arrangements and establish healthy expectations. This step is required by most Canadian clinics and represents an investment in everyone’s wellbeing.
Taking the Next Step
Choosing between known and anonymous egg donation is deeply personal. There’s no universally right answer—only the answer that’s right for you, your family, and your future child.
If you’re still uncertain, speaking with professionals who understand the nuances of each arrangement can provide clarity. Our team at Fertility Match includes people who have personally navigated the fertility journey and can offer genuine empathy alongside expert guidance.
Ready to explore your options? Contact us for a free consultation to discuss which type of egg donation might best suit your family’s needs and values. You can also review success stories from intended parents who have walked this path before you.
