BICA welcomes the fact that individuals conceived by donation from April 2005 will have choice of access to all the genetic and historical information about themselves, and that they will be able to find out the identity of their donor, if they wish to.

The argument that it is vital to preserve anonymity in order to ensure the availability of donors is, in BICA’S view, neither paramount nor proven.

The human rights and welfare interests of those born as a result of donor-assisted conception warrant as much consideration

Indeed the welfare of everyone who may be affected by donor-assisted conception – donor offspring, donors, existing or future donor partners and children, recipients, genetic half-siblings and extended families – needs to be considered, whatever the regulations governing donor information and the choices made by donors and recipients about disclosure of their involvement in assisted conception procedures.

The removal of donor anonymity makes it all the more imperative for potential donors and recipients of donor gametes to consider very fully the long-term implications of their decisions.

All licensed treatment centres are required to provide the opportunity for independent counselling in which the issues relating to donation and donor assisted conception may be discussed in the necessary breadth and depth. Anyone wishing to be referred to a counsellor for this purpose should enquire at the centre they are attending. Alternatively, they may contact the BICA Information Officer for referral on to a counsellor in their local area.

UK DonorLink
UK DonorLink (www.ukdonorlink.org.uk) is a UK Voluntary Register which enables people aged 18 and over who are genetically related through donor conception to exchange information with each other (either anonymously or not) and to make direct contact, if both parties wish . DNA testing will be offered as a way of verifying genetic matches and a small charge will be made for this service but financial help may be available to anyone on a low income. The project team and sessional UK DonorLink counsellors will provide intermediary services. It is anticipated that the Register will be launched at the end of March 2004.

The Register is funded by the Department of Health. UK DonorLink is part of After Adoption Yorkshire, a Leeds based independent specialist registered charity offering information, advice, counselling, support and training to people whose lives have been affected by adoption.