Reproductive technology, in particular oocyte or egg donation, upsets the meaning of parenthood and raises questions about the circumstances surrounding those who decide to have a child by means of this technology. A woman using egg donation must come to grips with questions such as the meaning of life, and what it means to be a mother. But it also requires that society become aware of what is morally acceptable. Is it morally acceptable for the egg donor to give her eggs to anotherwoman who wants to have a child? We would like to gloss over these issues by the power of love or by the growth of the uterus, but these issues will remain in the minds of everyone and will circulate in the subconscious. The purpose of this essay is to grapple with these issues. Reproduction by gift, it challenges our habits and ways of thinking. It causes us to re-examine the companionship among two people, it creates a role for the egg donor who, almost despite herself, inserts herself into the family tree. It disrupts the relationship being the parents and the child who demands the right to know where they came from. Ultimately, the focus rests not on the anonymity of the egg donor but on the father, his otherness and his responsibility.
