A new report from July 2026, Fertility, Embryo Research and Genome Editing: Public Attitudes in Europe, published by the Progress Educational Trust (PET) supported by ESHRE provides insights into public attitudes and understanding concerning access, care and research in reproductive science and medicine specifically how the public in four countries – the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy views fertility treatment, donor conception, embryo research and genome editing.
For us working with donor conception, the section covering pages 32–40 is particularly interesting.
Public attitudes towards donor conception are becoming increasingly positive
One of the clearest messages from the survey is that public attitudes towards donor conception have become increasingly accepting across all four countries surveyed. While differences remain between countries, the overall direction is towards greater support for the use of donated sperm and eggs to help people build families.
The report also indicates broad support for:
- access to donor conception for people experiencing infertility,
- openness regarding donor conception,
- identity-release donation over anonymous donation, and
- continued development of responsible regulatory frameworks.
These findings mirror many of the developments seen across Europe during the past decade, where transparency and the rights of donor-conceived individuals have become increasingly important considerations.
Our experience reflects the same trend
In our experience at Fertility Consultancy and Spermandeggdonors.com, we observe many of the same developments through our work with donor banks, fertility clinics and donors.
Adding experiences from gamete donation in Denmark, we have experienced:
- growing willingness to become gamete donors in general and,
- increasing acceptance of both men and women to become identity-release (open-identity) donors,
- particularly strong support for openness among younger generations.
Many younger potential donors today appear to view donation as a meaningful way of helping others while also recognising that donor-conceived individuals may one day wish to learn more about their genetic origins. Many are part of a generation in which donor conception is increasingly visible and openly discussed, and some may even have friends or acquaintances who are donor-conceived.
As a result, donation appears to carry significantly less stigma than it did just a decade ago, reflecting a broader societal shift towards openness, transparency and acceptance of different paths to parenthood. This represents an important cultural shift compared with attitudes seen only one or two decades ago.
Willingness alone does not create donors
An important point, however, is that survey findings on willingness should not automatically be interpreted as future donor recruitment. In practice, there is often a considerable difference between saying “I would consider donating” and actually completing the donation process.
Our experience suggests that successful donor recruitment depends on several factors including:
- awareness of donation opportunities,
- simple and easily accessible recruitment pathways,
- confidence in clinics/donor banks and programmes,
- practical time commitments,
- appropriate recognition and compensation within legal frameworks.
Without these elements, willingness may never translate into actual donations.
The role of compensation should not be underestimated
One finding that deserves careful consideration is the relationship between altruism and donor availability. While many donors are genuinely motivated by helping others, our experience strongly suggests that a completely altruistic model without any financial compensation would significantly reduce donor numbers.
Compensation is rarely the primary motivation for donating, but it helps recognise the donor’s time, commitment, inconvenience and medical procedures involved.
Why do some countries still experience donor shortages?
Perhaps the most important lesson from the PET report is that public attitudes alone cannot explain why some countries continue to struggle with donor recruitment.
Based on our experience, the differences are more often explained by:
- cultural attitudes towards donation,
- historical traditions,
- religious and societal influences,
- legal and regulatory frameworks,
- restrictions on donor compensation,
- public awareness and education,
- organisation of recruitment programmes.
Countries with supportive legislation, transparent systems and well-established donor programmes generally achieve much stronger recruitment than countries where donation remains less visible or more heavily restricted e.g. prohibiting advertising for donors.
Looking ahead
The PET report provides encouraging evidence that European public opinion continues to move towards greater acceptance of donor conception and assisted reproduction.
For policy makers, fertility clinics and donor banks, the challenge is now to translate these positive attitudes into sustainable donor recruitment while protecting donor-conceived individuals, respecting donors and ensuring safe, ethical and transparent treatment.
As fertility treatment continues to help increasing numbers of people become parents, understanding public attitudes will become an even more important foundation for future legislation and clinical practice.
Resource
Progress Educational Trust (PET) & ESHRE (2026): Fertility, Embryo Research and Genome Editing: Public Attitudes in Europe.
The full report can be accessed free of charge via the Progress Educational Trust website:
https://www.progress.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/pet-eshre-report.pdf
