If your donated sperm, eggs or embryos were used in Western Australia from 1 December 2004 you would have consented to your identifiable information being shared with any children born as a result of your donation when they turn 16 years old.
Donors have recently been notified that these donor-conceived people have started to turn 16 and are becoming eligible to access information about their donors. This means that, depending on when your donation was used, your information will start to become available to your donor offspring.
Whilst legislation makes it clear that donors do not have any parental rights or responsibilities towards donor conceived offspring, there is growing understanding of the importance for all people in knowing about their genetic heritage.
A donor conceived person who has the legislated right to access donor identifying information will take part in an information sharing and support session prior to the release of information. The session will cover the potential implications of obtaining information for the donor conceived person, their family, donors, and the people they’re close to.
Contact from donor conceived offspring may be unexpected and it may take some time for you to consider how to proceed. Some donor conceived people may wish to access medical or genetic information, to write letters or share photos, or to meet. It has been shown that donor conceived people are generally very respectful of their donor’s wishes and preferences for contact.
Donors may access identifying information where there is consent from all parties. JIGSAW DNA Connect (external site) is a Western Australian service that allows for donors, recipients and donor conceived people to voluntarily provide information about themselves to the Donor and Offspring Register and for this information to be shared with people related through donor conception if all parties agree.
Read more about information for gamete donors (PDF 136KB).