What is the background and purpose of the Consent to Use regulations?
The AHR Act was built upon a framework of ethical principles consistent with the values of Canadians, one of which is free and informed consent. This fundamental value supports the view that only an individual can make decisions regarding whether or not to reproduce. Therefore, one of the key areas addressed in the Act is the possibility that someone’s eggs, sperm or invitro embryos might be used for purposes for which they do not want them to be used. Different from consent to treatment, the Act requires that anyone using their eggs, sperm or invitro embryos for their own reproductive purposes or donating them for use by a third party must be provided with specific information so that they can develop and give their consent to that use.
