THE DRAFT guidelines under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act are out. These guidelines lay down how clinics which provide InVitro Fertilisation (IVF) and Donor Insemination (DI) should work. Considering that IVF and DI affect an are practised on women, an astonishing amount of the guidance concerns the men's rights.
The guidance is contradictory on access to Donor Insemination for lesbians and single women. It says that 'Centres should avoid adopting any policy or criteria which may appear arbitrary or discriminatory'. However, it also says that clinics must consider the 'need of a child for a father'. This clause is actually in the law, and was said by Ministers to be intended to prevent lesbians and single women from gaining access to donor insemination.
In a throwaway sentence, which is potentially discriminatory against gay men and young men, the guidance says that, lonors should be chosen who already have children of their own! There is no explanation, so we don't know why it is there.
The date for responding to the guidance is May 20 and it is important that as many people ac possible do. The ravino right, in the form of 'Lifé and 'SPUC', are campaigning to make the guidance more discriminatory - despite the fact that 98% of all child sexual abuse is carried out by heterosexual men within families! We need an equally strong campaign to ensure tha non-discriminatory practice is a fundamental principle of these services.
If you write a response, you should try to cover some of the general issues and welcome the statement that policies should not be discriminatory, but say that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) should make it clear that the law should be interpreted in a non-discriminatory way Write to: Prof. Colin Campbell, HFEA, Clements House, 14-18 Gresham St, London EC2V 7IE.