The Swedish Insemination Act and Its Impact*

In the debate surrounding secrecy in donor insemination (DI), the semen donor is often cited as a person needing the protection of anonymity. Sweden's unique legislation, the 1985 Insemination Law which, among other things, gives mature DI offspring the right of access to donor identity, has attracted much comment. Prior to the legislation's enactment, there were fears that the law would result in a rapid and irreversible decline in DI as a treatment in Sweden. It was also predicted that it would be almost impossible to recruit donors under the legislation. This paper describes the provisions of the legislation and examines what its impact has been in terms of the reactions of the medical profession, DI treatment provision, and the availability and recruitment of donors.