Vol.:(0123456789) HEC Forum https://doi.org/10.1007/s10730-022-09498-4 1 3 Ethical Issues in Sperm, Egg and Embryo Donation: Islamic Shia Perspectives Md Shaikh Farid 1 Accepted: 12 October 2022 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2022 Abstract Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) have been practiced in Islamic societies within married couples since their introduction. However, there are divergent views over the issue of third-party donation among Sunni and Shia scholars. This paper illustrates the diferent perspectives of Shia Muslims surrounding, sperm, egg, and embryo donation and ethical aspects thereof. The study reveals that there are difer- ent views regarding sperm, egg, and embryo donation among the Shia religious lead- ers around the world. Many Shia religious scholars, including the Iranian supreme religious leader Ali Hussein Khamenei allow sperm, egg, and embryo donation with certain conditions. However, the conditions stipulated by Shia religious schol- ars contradict the ethical and legal practices of sperm, egg, and embryo donation. Regarding sperm and egg donation, they declared that the donor child would inherit from a third-party donor and the commissioning parents would be adoptive parents. Thus, according to them, donor anonymity is impossible. Moreover, the Iranian act on embryo donation did not stipulate the right and responsibilities of the donor child and recipient couples and did not clarify the nature and number of embryos that can be donated and implanted. The paper argues that the lack of laws and guidelines on sperm, egg, and embryo donation raises many ethical problems. Based only on reli- gious rulings, third-party donation has been practiced without foreseeing the well- being and safety of donor children, donors, and recipient couples. Keywords Gamete donation · Sperm donation · Egg donation · Shia Islam · ARTs · Islamic bioethics * Md Shaikh Farid sfarid@du.ac.bd 1 World Religions and Culture, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh