Thank you for letting me know of this intriguing case.  It seems to me that Austria, or at least the Court, is right.  Ovum donation confuses motherhood.  But the same arguments would apply to sperm donation, whether with the same force is an intriguing question.  Is it worse to confuse motherhood than to confuse fatherhood?  
From an American perspective, the question is easy,  Couples who want children, but cannot get them the traditional way, should adopt.  There are very many abortions, and some at least of the women concerned would prefer to place the child in an adoptive home if made aware of the option.  In America, at least, interracial adoption is not only socially acceptable but also common.  There is an intriguing discussion among Catholics about the adoption of embryos (via implantation), but as I understand it the chances of getting a living child that way are, though not nonexistent, slim,


The desire of parents for children of their own is reasonable.  But it does not trump all other considerations, such as the needs of children without parents,  In any event sperm and ovum donation satisfies the desire of only one parent for biological continuity (does it matter which?).

On the face of Franke's paper is irrelevant; we are dealing here with women who want offspring.
But my queries indicate places on which we might usefully hear from feminists,

With best wishes,


Phil Devine