The current recommendations in Sweden are that a sperm or egg donor must not have children in more than six families.

- Today we have no control over it. For example, they can leave sperm in Malmö, Gothenburg and Umeå at the same time without our knowledge, says Kersti Lundin, associate professor at the reception for reproductive medicine at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.

Track donors

There is a national register - the Quality Register (Q-IVF). There, the receipts report to the National Board of Health, what they do and how many patients they have.

All patients who undergo assisted conception in Sweden, including the donors, are included in the Quality Register. But with the new proposed National Register for Germ cells, donors can also be traced, says associate professor Kersti Lundin.

- One difference is that with this register we should be able to trace the donors as they must not give birth to children in more than six families.

Assisted fertilization is prepared at IVF reception. Photo: AP

Data inspection Board

It is a project group within the Tissue Council that has turned to the Data Inspectorate and requested "consultation". This means that the inspection should comment on the proposal as the register may contain sensitive personal data.

The project group consists of representatives from both public and private receptions that carry out assisted fertilization of germ cells.

Security issues

It is also a matter of safety - especially regarding the egg donors, says associate professor Kersti Lundin.

- They undergo hormone stimulation with subsequent egg picking, which can cause some complications.

The IVF clinic in Stockholm, where women can freeze a number of eggs to increase the chances of having children later in life. Photo: TT

Side effects

She also emphasizes that there are national registers for other donors, such as umbilical cord blood. Now is the time to create corresponding registers for germ cell donors, says the project group at the County Council.

- As with other living donors, it is important to be able to follow up on how egg donors are doing from a health perspective and possible side effects.

"Good control in England"

In addition, according to the project group at the Tissue Council, there are major differences within the EU when it comes to national rules for registering sperm and egg donors. Many have rules somewhere up to between six and ten families.

- There are countries that have no rules regarding the number of children. Some countries have very good control. For example, England has a complete donor register with traceability of all donors, says Kersti Lundin.