title: Fertility clinic, egg donation agency, and sperm bank policies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the level of openness in U.S. gamete donation policies across fertility clinics, egg donation agencies, and sperm banks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primarily a content analysis of organizational materials (e.g., websites, brochures).
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 219 fertility clinics, 100 egg donation agencies, and 30 sperm banks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Not applicable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Use of donor photographs, anonymity between parties, cycle outcome disclosure, and postcycle contact.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Agencies were more likely to provide donor photographs, have proactive policies to inform donors of the cycle outcome, and have nonanonymous options compared with sperm banks and clinics. Sperm banks were more likely to offer institutionalized donor identity-release programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinics, agencies, and sperm banks have different policies to address the level of openness between donors, recipients, and donor-conceived children. Although agencies generally offer more open arrangements, only a minority of organizations restricted all types of contact and communication between parties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. kmj165@psu.edu
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards; D030881:Disclosure / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018587:Oocyte Donation / Q000592:standards*; D057766:Policy; D013074:Sperm Banks / Q000592:standards*