The Right to Know One's Own Biological Origins

The South African Law Reform Commission has published Issue paper 32 (Project 140), The Right to Know One's Own Biological Origins for comment. "The object of this investigation is to ascertain whether a child should have a legal right to know his or her biological origins. This investigation deals with medically assisted reproduction, surrogacy, adoption, registration of birth, disputed paternity, child abandonment and medical tourism."

"The Project 140 investigation is important in an age of cutting-edge and ever advancing science in the field of assisted reproduction. Assisted reproduction is used to treat infertility and entails the use of fertility medications and medical techniques to bring about the conception and birth of a child. Children are conceived using donor gametes in techniques such as in vitro fertilization, mitochondrial replacement therapy and genetic surrogacy."