Ethical Concerns Of Artificial Insemination By Donor In Japan

Abstract

"The purpose of this paper is to examine the current practices in Artificial Insemination by Donor (AID) in Japan, to raise concerns about AID-related problems, and to explain in particular how and why AID may increase the vulnerability of an under-studied group, people conceived using AID procedures. The paper first defines AID and reports on its historical development in Japan. Then, by considering legal and ethical aspects of AID mainly through the testimony of individuals born by AID procedures, the study points to several ways in which this type of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) raises ethical concerns in Japan and possibly other societies. The first concern raised here is that the procedure has under-examined implications for AID-born children, Donor Conception (DC) offspring, who frequently report negative personal outcomes on being told the truth of their birth. DC offspring cannot access records of their biological roots, a situation not helped by the absence of laws regarding AID in Japan. A related source of ethical concern is that AID links to legislation regarding human reproduction. Though disagreement exists on the degree AID should be regulated, the practice clearly requires a dramatic increase in legislative attention. The third source of ethical concern is that AID can be problematized from the point of view of the bioethical principle of autonomy. The fundamental concept of autonomy in bioethics does not necessarily justify the procedure because while AID aims to bring human beings into existence, it can and does disadvantage at least some AID-born children; in this way, the disadvantage of such children, and hence their autonomy is de-emphasized in relation to the autonomy of parents and other stakeholders. In raising these concerns, the study draws attention to the need for the advancement of bioethical discussion, particularly in light of the rapid advancement of human reproductive technologies such as AID"