So grateful to announce that legislator's in Michigan are understanding the needs of sperm provider offspring and are taking action to make changes in gamete conception practice in Michigan. Five bills, House Bill 5713-17, have been introduced to the Michigan House of Representatives in a bipartisan effort. They will be reviewed by the Committee on Health Policy and go to the Michigan Senate as well. Looking forward to what the future brings with this.
The bills are about fertility fraud, involve civil and criminal charges, and include:
- Statute of Limitations
- False representation in assisted reproduction causing harm to the patient, patient's spouse, the individual conceived, or the donor
- Sexual conduct with the patient, even if the patient initiates or consents to it
- A pattern of fraud or deceit resulting in personal financial gain to the licensed provider of care
- False or misleading information related to an assisted reproductive procedure, including
- the embryo or gamete used
- the identity of the donor of the embryo or gamete
- a donor's medical history, family history, education, ethnicity, or religious background
- If the person is a health professional and knowingly causes their own embryo or gamete to be implanted into a patient through assisted reproduction without the patient's prior knowledge and express written consent
- False representation or practice as a health professional
- Knowingly using a human embryo or gamete other than the one agreed to by the patient in assisted reproduction procedure
With immense gratitude to the people of the Right to Know (righttoknow.us) organization for their tireless work and wisdom in being instrumental in promoting Fertility Fraud legislation state by state, including Michigan.
(Note: historically the term sperm/egg/gamete "donor" has been used. The person is actually not a "donor" as they get paid for their gametes. At times, people now use the term sperm/egg/gamete "provider" instead.)
