A survey of public attitudes towards third-party reproduction in Japan in 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine public attitudes towards third-party reproduction and the disclosure of conception through third-party reproduction. Methods: We conducted the web-based survey for the public attitude towards third-party reproduction in February 2014. Twenty-five hundred people were recruited with equal segregation of age (20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s) and gender. We analyzed the association between gender, age, infertility, and ethical view using a questionnaire regarding donor sperm, donor oocyte, donor embryo, gestational surrogacy, and disclosure to offspring. Results: Of the respondents, 36.2% approved and 26.6% disapproved of gamete or embryo donation. The frequency of those who approved was lowest in females in the 50–59 year age group, and was significantly higher in males or females with infertility. Secondly, 40.9% approved and 21.8% disapproved of gestational surrogacy. The frequency of those who approved gestational surrogacy was higher in males or females with infertility. Thirdly, 46.3% of respondents agreed and 20.4% disagreed with “offspring have the right to know their origin”. Those who disagreed were primarily in the 50–59 year age group of both genders, and disagreement was significantly higher in the infertility group compared with non-infertility group. Conclusion: In this study, public attitudes were affected by gender, age, and experience of infertility. These study findings are important in understanding the attitude towards third-party reproduction and disclosure to the offspring. Respondents having indecisive attitudes were >30%, which might indicate an increased requirement for information and education to enhance the discussion on the ethical consensus on third-party reproduction in Japan.