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02
Sep
2024

Blog, Donor conception law, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert

Donor Conception Law: Calls for Global Limits For Egg And Sperm Donors

There are growing calls across the scientific and fertility sectors for global limits for egg and sperm donors. This is being fuelled by media and television coverage of prolific sperm donors as seen in Netflix's recent documentary series "The Man with 1,000 Kids" (released in July 2024) and concerns about the wellbeing of donor conceived individuals. Whilst there is a 10-family legal limit for egg and sperm donors who donate at UK licensed fertility clinics, there are currently no limits on how many times they can donate abroad since there are no international restrictions.

19
Aug
2024

Blog, Declaration of Parentage, Legal Parentage, Louisa Ghevaert, Modern Family Law, News

Rise in DNA tests being used to claim citizenship of other countries

Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to feature in an article in The Guardian on 18 August 2024 about the legalities associated with DNA testing and applications to rectify an inaccurate or incomplete birth certificate. The article discusses how increasing numbers of people are taking DNA tests to explore their ancestral heritage, uncover unknown aspects of their personal identity or trace parents, siblings and new relatives. Added to this, people are now using DNA tests to apply for citizenship in another country.

28
Jul
2024

Donor conception law, Louisa Ghevaert

Netflix’s The Man With 1,000 Kids: Part One

Netflix's documentary series "The Man with 1,000 Kids" was released in the UK in July 2024. It takes an in-depth look at the actions of a prolific Dutch sperm donor, called Jonathan, who allegedly may have fathered over 1,000 children. Episode one starts with personal accounts from women and couples who conceived their children privately with Jonathan's sperm and their shock, anger and concern when they began to learn about the alleged scale of his sperm donation activity. It opens with the question "What kind of man would do that?" and goes on to raise further serious issues and questions.

12
Jul
2024

Blog, Embryo Law, Fertility Law

Can Air Pollution Affect My Fertility?

A groundbreaking study presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's (ESHRE) 40th Annual Meeting in Amsterdam (7-10 July 2024) shows that exposure to air pollution can significantly decrease the chance of a live birth after IVF treatment by 38 percent. It found that air pollution's negative impact on fertility starts before conception by disrupting egg development and quality. This adds to previous findings that microscopic soot particles travel through the bloodstream into the ovaries and placenta leading to increased miscarriage rates and premature births.

21
Jun
2024

Blog, Embryo Law, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, Modern Family Law, News, Parenting Law, Transgender Law

Resolution’s Modern Families Forum 2024

Louisa Ghevaert attended Resolution's Modern Families Forum 2024 on 20 June 2024 and had the privilege of meeting Baroness Brenda Hale of Richmond DBE and listening to her keynote address on the legal recognition of “family” from the 1960s to the present day. Lady Hale successfully broke through the glass ceiling and was the first woman President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from 2017 until her retirement in 2020. In meeting Lady Hale, Louisa was privileged to discuss her legal involvement and the transformational outcome of Whittington Hospital NHS Trust v XX [2020] UKSC 14, which was Lady Hale's last case in the Supreme Court and enabled the recovery of damages for fertility treatment, donor conception and surrogacy following medical negligence.

24
May
2024

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Fertility Show 2024 London Olympia

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend the Fertility Show at London Olympia over 18 - 19 May 2024, which brought together a range of experts from around the world all committed to improving fertility and healthcare outcomes. The Fertility Show had over 80 exhibitors including fertility clinics, egg and sperm banks, experts in fertility and health checks, genetic testing, nutrition, pregnancy and birth, counsellors and a full schedule of expert speakers and panel discussions to help inform and empower prospective parents about their family building. It also showcased the latest technological advances across the fertility sector.

17
May
2024

Blog, Louisa Ghevaert, Modern Family Law, Parenting Law, Transgender Law

Gender Dysphoria, Puberty Blockers and Hormone Replacement Therapy: Treatment of A Young Person

Gender dsyphoria can raise challenging issues emotionally, medically and legally when individuals seek to transition from female to male, male to female or assume a non-binary identity. The recent gender dysphoria case involving a young person aged 16 1/2 seeking cross-hormone therapy treatment Re J (Transgender: Puberty Blocker and Hormone Replacement Therapy) [2024] EWHC 922 brings into sharp focus complex and evolving issues around capacity and consent to medical treatment and the extent to which the court should intervene and override consent by an over-16-year-old but under 18-year-old.

13
May
2024

Blog, Declaration of Parentage, Legal Parentage, Modern Family Law, Parenting Law

Declaration of Parentage: Will This Rectify My Birth Certificate?

Cases involving enquiries about birth/biological parents and decisions to rectify a birth certificate often require a great deal of care and consideration. They can upend established family history and introduce unexpected narratives about unplanned pregnancy, love affairs, failed relationships, adoption, loss and death. They can uncover fertility fraud or even egg, sperm or embryo mix-ups at fertility clinics. They can also create complex issues with genetic relatives and legal family members, intermingled with complex emotional dynamics (shock, anger, shame, grief, fear, rejection, happiness and acceptance).

20
Apr
2024

Assisted Reproduction Law, Blog, Donor conception law, Embryo Law, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert

Mary Warnock at 100: The Architect of Embryo Law

Louisa Ghevaert was delighted to attend Progress Educational Trust's event on 17 April 2024 "Mary Warnock at 100: The Architect of Embryo Law". This event looked at the continued influence of Baroness Mary Warnock DBE, one of our most significant twentieth century philosophers, in the field of fertility. Mary died age 94 in 2019. However, her work on bioethics and her legacy lives on having fundamentally shaped law, policy and practice for assisted reproductive technology in the UK and around the world.

25
Mar
2024

Blog, Louisa Ghevaert, News

FemTech Lab Spring 2024 Connect

Louisa Ghevaert had the pleasure of attending FemTech Lab’s Spring ‘24 Connect event at 22 Bishopsgate venue in London on 14 March 2024. It brought together creative minds, leaders, experts and entrepreneurs from across the digital and female health and consumer spaces. Its mission is to foster vision, inspiration, change, solutions and impact across the women’s health and technology sectors. This resonates in many ways in terms of building a better and brighter future and movement to address the gender health data gap, build trust and provide solutions and not just diagnostics at all stages of women’s lives.

22
Mar
2024

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, News

Welfare of the Fertility Patient: Spotting and Treating Trauma

On 13 March 2023, Louisa Ghevaert was pleased to attend Progress Educational Trust's event "Welfare of the Fertility Patient: Spotting Signs and Treatment after Trauma". This raised awareness of the importance of considering the welfare of fertility patients and not just the welfare of the child. At present, there is nothing in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended) which explicitly states that the welfare of patients should be considered.

01
Mar
2024

Blog, Fertility Law, Louisa Ghevaert, Surrogacy Law

Fertility Treatment & Surrogacy In The Workplace

Louisa Ghevaert had the pleasure of networking with colleagues and professionals at The Surrogacy Network’s latest event in London on Thursday 29 February 2024. The focus of the meeting was "Embracing Surrogacy in the Workplace" with a really insightful presentation from Claire Ingle from Fertility Matters at Work. There is currently no statutory right to time off work for appointments for fertility treatment. Legal protection only applies from the point at which a person has an embryo implanted and they are classed as pregnant.

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