Good donors, bad donors and oddities in the family tree: genomics, donation and reproductive citizenship in Finnish egg donor accounts

Abstract

Research on reproductive citizenship has focused on prospective or intended parents and how they are (or are not) accorded responsibility, entitlement and support in creating a family. With third-party reproductive arrangements, reproductive tissue donors and surrogates have emerged as new reproductive citizens to be governed in public policy, law and medical practices. In this article, drawing on 23 in-depth interviews of Finnish egg donors, we show how the donors take on roles characterised by contradictory moral responsibilities. The donors both downplay and acknowledge the significance of genetic connection to the donor children. By paying attention to selective reproductive technologies used to screen out gamete donors perceived as unfit to donate, we will discuss egg donation as a form of ableist reproductive-biological citizenship where 'good' citizens must know and care not only for their and their offspring’s health but also for the implications of their genome for someone else’s family. However, not all donors align with the ideal type of a good and able reproductive citizen. Some challenge this ideal, crafting reproductive capability and kin relations for third-party reproductive citizens in ways that diverge from the prevailing civic norms.