Zorgvuldigheid in omgang met leeftijdsgrenzen in de Wdkb

When the Donor Data Artificial Fertilization Act (wdkb) took effect in 2004, it was assumed that children would not be able to access donor person-identifying data until the age of 16. The current reality is that donor children are often able to receive these before that age through various means, such as the use of (international) online DNA testing and information exchange through social media. In addition, donor children often have younger siblings within the family who are related to the same donor. If their older brother or sister turns 16, they too will receive information about the donor at a younger age. So the question is not whether donor children can receive personally-identifying information about the donor at a younger age, but rather how this can be handled carefully.
How this can be handled with care.
This study examines age limits from a legal, ethical, psychological and phenomenological perspective. Not only what these age limits might be, but also what conditions and/or care requirements should apply to any new age limits. The aim is to fill the knowledge gap on this point by means of already existing knowledge with age limits in other fields and experiences with the current age limits from the practice of the current law. This concerns in particular experiences of donor children, but also experiences of their parents and the donors.

Het advies luidt:
- laat de huidige leeftijdsgrenzen vervallen;
- stel ook geen andere leeftijdsgrenzen in;
- zorg voor informatie over de donor op elk gewenst moment;
- zorg voor meer afwisseling en vormen van informatie over de donor;
- zorg voor goede voorlichting, begeleiding en ondersteuning in alle fasen van het opgroeien voor donorkinderen ouders, donoren en de mensen om hen heen;
- laat vervolgonderzoek doen naar de praktische gevolgen en uitvoering van dit advies.