The organisation known as the Procréation Médicalement Anonyme (PMA) represents donor conceived adults in France. This association was founded in 2004 by a fertility doctor born anonymously (née sous x) who, accordingly, was sensitive towards information about people’s genetic heritage. The members of the association are donor conceived, mostly by sperm donors, parents, and sperm and egg donors who are willing to be identified.
PMA aims to
- provide information to media, public policy makers, parents and donors about the needs of donor conceived people. Two members of PMA have published books about donor conception: ‘Né de spermatozoïde inconnu’ by Arthur Kermalvezen and ‘Mes origines : Une affaire d’état’ by Audrey Kermalvezen;
- promote contact between donor conceived people;
- keep contact with and lobby the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Health;
- legally clarify the situation of donor conceived persons by supporting legal actions. Members of PMA have challenged French law to be in breach of article 8 and 14 of the European Charter on Human Rights. One case is demanding that the donor will at least be asked whether he agrees to being identified. The case is currently pending with the Conseil d’Etat, the Highest French Court. In the case of a dismissal, PMA will proceed on to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which will, however, probably not reach a judgement before 2020.
PMA’s political demands
- Adult donor offspring have the right to know the identity of their donor ;
- CECOS must provide non-identifying information about the donor to donor offspring, for example when the donor child is sibling to other named donor conceived persons;
- A central donor registry should be established so that the number of 10 children per donor can be controlled.