Colorado Law Would Lift Veil of Secrecy on Sperm Donations

New rules in Colorado that would lift a veil of secrecy around sperm donation and grant other protections to people conceived with donated cells are closer to reality after lawmakers there gave the bill final approval.

The bill would enable offspring to learn the identity of a sperm or egg donor when they turn 18 and receive a donor's medical information prior to that. Fertility clinics would be required to update donors' contact information and medical records every 3 years.

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In addition, clinics would have to make "good-faith efforts" to track births to ensure that no more than 25 families conceive babies from a single donor's sperm. Egg donors could donate up to six times, based on medical risk.

The bill would establish a minimum donor age of 21 and require donors and prospective parents to receive educational materials and information about the psychological needs of donor-conceived children.

The provisions would take effect with donations collected on or after Jan. 1, 2025. Violators would be subject to fines of up to $20,000 per day.

Advocates point out that in addition to the benefits of knowing one's genetic identity, the anonymity of sperm donors has been hampered by the availability of commercial genetic testing. (Egg donation has tended to be more open.)

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