LONDON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- The British government has decided to lift the secrecy on the identities of future sperm and egg donors, London's The Telegraph reported Wednesday.
Public Health Minister Melanie Johnson said the decision was made after public consultation, and, if the move receives parliamentary approval, would go into effect after April 1, 2005.
The move will mean that donor-conceived children will be able to find out the identity of their donor when they become 18, and to access information about their genetic origins.
The new rules would not affect donors up until April 2005.
Fertility experts claim the move will discourage future donors and exacerbate the current shortage of donors.
The present law that says donors have no financial or legal obligations towards the child will remain unchanged, the newspaper said.
