Donation and the Law
Information about you and your child
Your details and those of any children born following your treatment with donated eggs will be collected by your treating clinic and passed on to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The HFEA will keep these details on an up-to-date register. Your donor’s details will also be obtained from your treating clinic and registered.
What information will be kept about your child’s donor?
Egg donors are asked to provide the following personal information:
- name
- date of birth
- address
- NHS number
- ethnic group
- marital status
- the number of children they already have and their gender
- physical characteristics
- details of their screening tests and medical history
- a goodwill message to any potential children conceived following their donation
- a personal description.
When can you as the parent ask for information about your child’s donor and any half siblings?
At any time, you, as the parent of a donor-conceived child, can ask the HFEA for non-identifying information about your child’s donor. You can pass these details on to your child whenever you like.
You can also find out how many half-siblings your child may have, their gender and year of birth.
When can your child ask for information about their donor and half siblings?
When your child reaches the age of 16 they can apply to the HFEA to receive all the non-identifying information their donor provided when they donated. That is, all the information the donor gave to their clinic except for their name, NHS number and last-known address. Non-identifying information can also be provided about half-siblings.
When your child reaches the age of 18 they can apply to the HFEA to find all the information their donor provided, including identifying information such as their name, NHS number and last-known address. Identifying details about any half siblings can also be given.
When can your child’s donor ask for information about their donation and what details will they receive?
Any time following their donation, your child’s donor can find out:
- if their donation was successful
- the number of children born as a result of their donation
- the gender and year of birth of any children born.
A donor will never be given you or your child’s name, address or other identifying information.