FAQs for donors, donor-conceived people and their parents

What is happening in 2023 and who is affected?

2023 is a landmark year. A change in UK law more than 18 years ago set out that from 1^st April 2005 people were no longer able to donate sperm, eggs or embryos anonymously. Before 1^st April 2005, donors were automatically anonymous (although a small number of donors have since chosen to remove their anonymity).

This means most people conceived from donations made after 1^st April 2005 can request, once they turn 18, their donor’s full name, date, place and country of birth, and last known address from the HFEA. The first donor-conceived people affected by this change in law become eligible to apply later in 2023.

This Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page aims to provide answers to questions donor-conceived people, donors and their families may have about this, and to signpost to further resources.

Further information is available on the HFEA’s website.

I am a donor, can I get information about donor-conceived people born from my donations?

If you donated after 1^st August 1991, you can request information about the number, sex and year of birth of any children conceived from your donation. We don’t hold information about donations before 1^st August 1991 but the Donor Conceived Register may be able to help to link you with adults conceived as a result of your donations.

I am a post-2005 donor and would like contact with donor-conceived adults born from my donations, can the HFEA let them know?

It is up to the donor-conceived person to decide if, when and how they wish to get in touch. The HFEA is not able to contact any individual(s) conceived from your donation to let them know you would like contact with them, nor pass on that you would like to be in contact, if they apply for your information.

I am the parent(s) of a donor-conceived person, what information can I access?

As the parent of a donor-conceived child, you can’t access any identifying information about their donor (if the donor donated at a UK licensed clinic after 1^st April 1991). However, you can access the same non-identifying information about their donor and siblings that your child can access from age 16. Find out what information is available on your child's donor or donor-conceived siblings.

I was conceived by home insemination, can I access any information about my donor from the HFEA?

Some people choose to find a donor through a private arrangement such as through a website or social media – this is sometimes known as unregulated donation. The HFEA only records information about fertility treatment that takes place in licensed UK clinics, using registered donors and does not collect information on its Register about donation which takes places without the oversight of a licensed clinic, so we cannot provide you with any information about your donor. This is the case even if your donor has donated at other times at a licensed UK clinic.

I am the parent of a donor-conceived person and my child does not know they are donor-conceived. Where can I get help if I decide to tell them?

You can find out more about when and how to talk to your child here.

The Donor Conception Network (DCN) has produced a series of booklets called ‘Telling and Talking’. These aim to prepare and support parents of donor-conceived people to tell their children about their origins. The Donor Conception Network also holds workshops on preparing to talk to your children about their conception.

The booklets can be ordered online or downloaded for a cost from the website.

You may want to access professional support services such as specialist counselling to discuss the best methods for talking about donor conception with your child.

There are a number of organisations set up to offer counselling services and advice:

• The British Infertility Counselling Association is an organisation set up specifically to provide guidance and support on infertility issues.
• The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy can help you find counselling services in your area.
• The Counselling Directory lists counsellors and psychotherapists who are registered with a recognised professional body or can provide proof of their qualifications and insurance cover.
• ParentLine Plus is a national charity offering support to parents in the UK.

It is important to note that with the rise in ancestry websites and home DNA kits, there is potential for people who do not know they are donor-conceived finding out that they are, which can be very distressing. This can be the case even if the donor-conceived person themself has not taken a home DNA test.

I am interested in knowing who my donor-conceived siblings are, how can I find this out?

Donor Sibling Link (DSL) is a voluntary contact register for adults conceived through fertility treatment involving donated eggs, sperm or embryos (where treatment took place at a HFEA-licensed clinic).

It is for people who:

• were conceived after 1^st August 1991
• are aged 18 or above, and
• want to exchange contact details with others conceived with the use of the same donor (donor-conceived genetic siblings)

By joining DSL you will be agreeing to us sharing your first name, surname and agreed contact details with any other people conceived with the same donor already on DSL and/or who join in the future. You will also be agreeing to receive their name and contact details.

Where can I get support if I am thinking about accessing identifying information about my donor or donor-conceived siblings?

Finding out about your donor and any donor-conceived siblings you may have, can be an emotional process. That’s why we encourage you to get as much support as possible from family and friends, professional counsellors and people who have already been through this experience.

Get support and advice

Support and intermediary service

Preparing to access identifying information about your donor

Preparing to exchange contact details with your donor-conceived genetic siblings

I am not interested in finding out the identity of my donor or meeting them, is this ok?

Yes, it is up to you if you want to find out the identity of your donor or not. You don’t need to rush to make a decision one way or the other, and might find some of the links to websites and organisations listed on this page useful in thinking about this.

What about home DNA tests, can I use those to find out who my donor is?

Home DNA testing and matching websites have implications for donor-conceived people. Using one of the home DNA tests these sites offer and opting in (or not ‘opting out’) of their ‘matching services’, could mean that your donor, or donor-conceived genetic siblings become identifiable to you and vice versa. It’s also possible that a donor-conceived person’s identity could be worked out, if they have a close genetic relative using home DNA testing and matching services. Even if the donor-conceived person has not used such a service themselves, the information from the matching service may be able to be combined with other publicly available information about the relevant person, and their donor-conceived status and/or their identity could be possible to work out.

Why was the law changed in 2005?

The law was changed in 2005 following wide consultation with donor-conceived people and donors about how donor anonymity should work. There was a strong desire on both sides to leave the door open to potential contact if both parties wanted that.

What is the Opening the Register (OTR) Service?

The HFEA Opening the Register (OTR) service discloses information to donors, donor-conceived individuals, and their parents in accordance with the law. Applicants can apply to this service through our website to find out information about donors and the outcomes of donor treatments.

I am donor-conceived, what information can I access?

The information a donor-conceived person can access depends on when they were conceived and when their donor donated. This page sets out the information different groups of donor-conceived people can access.

I was conceived from a donation made by an identifiable donor, what information can I access about my donor at 18?

When you reach 18, you can ask for their name, date of birth and last known address.

If someone donated before 1^st April 2005, even if their egg, sperm or embryo was used more recently in treatment, it will still be viewed as an anonymous donation.

More information on finding out about your donor is available here.

How can I make a request to access my donor’s identifying information (full name, last known address and date and place of birth)?

You can make a request for this information through the HFEA website here.

Can all donor-conceived people who were conceived after 1st April 2005 receive identifiable information about their donor?

No, not all donor-conceived people conceived after 1^st April 2005 will be able to receive identifiable information about their donor. This is because:

• there was a transitional period in which clinics were able to use up any anonymous donations they had already collected
• patients could use donor eggs, sperm, or embryos of anonymous donors if they wanted a full genetic sibling for a child they had already conceived, and
• patients who created and stored embryos using an anonymous donor prior to the law change could use the material after the law came into force.

Will my donor be told when I request their identifying information (name, date of birth and last known address)?

When identifying information is requested about a donor for the first time the HFEA will attempt to notify the donor by post that their identifying information has been requested. The donor will not be told the donor-conceived person’s name or be given any information which could identify the donor-conceived person making the request. It is up to the donor-conceived person to decide if, when and how they wish to get in touch.

Will my parents know I have requested this information?

No, all requests for information are strictly confidential and as a donor-conceived adult it is your choice if you want to request identifying information about your donor. Your parents will not be informed or be able to ask the HFEA if you have requested this.

Can I make a request for my donor’s identifying information before I turn 18?

No, you need to be 18 years old before you make an Opening the Register (OTR) request to request identifying information about your donor. You can request non-identifying information about your donor at age 16 (and your parents can request this information at any time, and are free to share it with you). More information is available on this here and here.

Am I allowed to share the donor’s identifying information (ie. the donor’s full name, date of birth, and last known address) with other family members, including brothers or sisters born from the same donor?

Yes, you are free to share the information with other people, including any brothers and sisters who are under 18.

I have already done a DNA test and think I know who my donor is, can I request my donor’s identifying information from the HFEA too?

Yes, anyone who is eligible to access identifying information about their donor can do so.

Does my donor legally have to reply or meet me if I get in touch with them?

No, donors are not legally obliged to respond to you if you try to get in touch with them, and they do not have to meet up with you. We appreciate for some donor-conceived people contact with their donor is important, and if you did hope for some contact or to meet up with your donor, accepting that this may not happen could be very difficult. You may wish to seek support - some information about where you can get support is available here.

It’s a big decision whether and when to request identifying information, what should I think about?

It makes sense to think things over before deciding whether to request identifying information and if you wish to, then whether this is something you want to do now or in the future. This page might be useful in guiding your thinking around this.

My parent(s) just told me (or I just found out) that I am donor-conceived, where can I get support?

Finding out you are donor-conceived as a young person or adult may be a shock and you may have questions and feel you need some more support. This page may be a useful starting point. You may find it helpful to seek out more information, specialist counselling or to get in contact with other donor-conceived people. The Donor Conception Network offers support and advice for donor-conceived people. There are also many other online groups and forums which could help you seek out others who understand.

What is the current wait time for receiving a response to a request for information about my donor or donor-conceived siblings (an ‘Opening the Register request’)?

To view the current wait time for receiving information, please visit this page of our website: Apply for information. Applications are processed in the order in which they were received.

Why do I have to wait to access information about my donor or donor-conceived siblings?

As we are receiving a high number of applications, the request for information that you submit will be in a queue to be processed. Applications are processed in the order in which they were received. We are working through the requests as quickly as possible, while keeping the highest levels of accuracy.

Applications for donor information go through a rigorous process to ensure information provided is accurate and the applicant has an opportunity for specialist counselling or other support. We cross check our data with fertility centre data to ensure we are giving you the most accurate and up to date information.

It is essential the information we provide to you about your donor or donor-conceived siblings is accurate, as we know this information can have a major and direct effect on people’s lives.

I am a donor-conceived person, can I contact the fertility clinic my parent(s) had their fertility treatment or where my donor donated to get information about my donor?

No, if you are a donor-conceived person you will not be able to access information about your donor or donor-conceived siblings through a clinic. You will need to make an application through the HFEA Opening the Register service.

I am an identifiable donor. I would prefer my email address is released instead of my last known postal address, is this possible?

Donors cannot request that only an email address is given out and not a postal address, but can provide additional contact details such as email or phone number.

The law is very clear about what information can be given to the donor-conceived individual. Donor-conceived people will be able to ask for their donor’s name (and any previous names), date of birth, place and country of birth and last known postal address.

It is also possible for a donor to provide additional contact information, such as a telephone number and email address, which can be noted to be their preferred method of contact. However, the donor-conceived person will ultimately decide what method they choose if they decide to contact you.

I am a parent of a donor-conceived person, what information can I access?

Parents of donor-conceived children can find out the number, sex, and year of any other children born from the same donor(s) used to conceive their children, as well as non-identifying information about the donor. They can also find out whether the donor will be identifiable to their children when their children turn 18. Since 1^st April 2005, people donating at UK licensed clinics cannot do so anonymously.

Parents of donor-conceived individuals can never access identifying information about their child’s donor (which includes the name, last known address or date of birth) from the HFEA.

I am a donor, what information can I find out about any children that were born from my donations?

Donors (who donated from 1991 onwards) can find out the number, sex and year of birth of any children born from their donation. More information on the information you can access is available here.

I’m an anonymous donor. I would like to become identifiable so any children born from my donation(s) can contact me if they want to. Can I do this?

If you donated anonymously from 1991 onwards and wish to become identifiable to any children born as a result of your donation this is possible. You should read the information on our website and consider accessing support from our support service or the clinic where you donated, before removing your anonymity. You can find out more here. If you donated before 1991, please contact the Donor Conceived Register, who may be able to link you with adults born from your donations.

I am a donor, how can I update my address?

Donors are responsible for notifying their clinic of any changes to their personal details i.e. address, and the clinic will then update the HFEA Register with these new details on the donor’s behalf. We’d encourage donors to do this as early as possible to ensure that their information is up-to-date. If your clinic has closed, you can also do this directly with the HFEA.

Why is it important that I update my contact details with the clinic where I donated or the HFEA?

An egg or sperm donation made 18 years ago could feel like a long time ago, and so it can be easy for donors to forget to update their contact details. However, giving the correct information to the donor-conceived person and notifying the donor an application has been made, can help facilitate successful communication and may reduce any emotional impact. This is why we have issued fresh calls to donors to update their contact details via their clinic or via the HFEA.

Is my identifiable donor legally required to have contact or meet with me?

No, your identifiable donor is not legally required to have contact with you. Donor-conceived people aged 18 and above, with an identifiable donor, will be able to ask for their donor’s name (and any previous names), date of birth, place and country of birth and last known postal address.

Although we encourage donors to update their contact details, we cannot guarantee that donors will do so. It may be that you are not able to find your donor. Donors are also not legally obliged to respond to any attempt to contact them and are not obliged to speak to you or meet you. Some donors may be keen to be in contact with, or meet, people conceived from their donation. Others may prefer not to have contact with people conceived from their donation. It could be that your donor does respond to you, but may want a different level of contact to you, which could be upsetting. Information about seeking support is available here.

I am an identifiable donor, will you contact me if a donor-conceived person applies for my identifying information (name, date of birth and last known address)?

We will attempt to notify egg, sperm and embryo donors the first time a donor-conceived individual has requested identifiable information about them, using the donor’s last known address as recorded on the HFEA Register. Donors may also update their address and provide additional contact details at this point, and specify a preferred contact method (although it is not guaranteed that the donor-conceived individual will use this method).

Donors should be aware that if their postal address has not been updated, it is possible that the HFEA will release information about a donor without being able to inform them first.

I am an identifiable donor and am concerned about confidentiality/ have not spoken to my family about having donated?

We understand that while some donors may welcome the possibility of their identifying information being released, others may be concerned, for example, if they haven’t told their family about their donation.

We have advised clinics to be cautious when proactively contacting donors to update their addresses.

I am an identifiable donor, what support should I expect from the clinic I donated at?

The clinic at which you donated should offer proper counselling throughout the treatment, donation or storage processes, and afterwards if requested.

Where else can donors find information and support?

Donors may have a range of reactions when anticipating contact with their donor-conceived offspring and in some instances require support when managing the release of this information.

If you are a donor seeking support or information you may find the following resources helpful:

Preparing for possible contact from someone conceived from your donation – Here we outline a selection of questions which identifiable donors may wish to consider when an adult conceived from their donation applies to access their identifying information.

Rules around releasing donor information – Written for donors, this page of our website describes what information donor-conceived people are able to request from the HFEA.

Remove your donor anonymity – Here we explain how anonymous donors can remove their anonymity by making an application to the HFEA.

Support and intermediary service - Our support and intermediary service offers re-registering and identifiable donors affected by post-donation issues the opportunity to access a number of free support sessions with a qualified professional.

British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) – For those not eligible to access support via the HFEA, BICA provide a directory of counsellors with expertise in supporting people dealing with issues around infertility, including donor conception.

Donor Conceived Register (DCR) – Run by the Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, the DCR helps to connect donor-conceived people who were conceived before 1 August 1991 with their donor and siblings.

Donor Conceived Network (DCN) – A charity network offering information, support and community of donor conception families and donors.

Sperm, Egg, and Embryo Donation (SEED) Trust – A charity organisation providing impartial advice, support and information to prospective donors, intended parents and surrogates.

I am an identifiable donor, what do I need to consider if a donor-conceived person gets in touch?

Some donors and donor-conceived people may want the same level of relationship, but others might not. Personalities and personal views may also not be as expected. The HFEA’s support and intermediary service can help donor-conceived people and donors with this. Donors should also be able to access counselling via the clinic they donated at and find further information from charities such as the Donor Conception Network.

I am a donor-conceived person considering finding out information about / contacting my donor. What should I consider?

Some donors and donor-conceived people may want the same level of relationship, but others might not. Personalities and personal views may also not be as expected. The HFEA’s support and intermediary service can help donor-conceived people in dealing with this.

What about home DNA testing, can I use this to find out about my donor, donor-conceived children, or donor siblings? Or can others use this to find out about me?

It is important to note that with the rise in ancestry websites and DNA kits, there is potential for donors being contacted before the law allows and without any of the support and checks provided by the HFEA. The HFEA does not regulate these tests or websites.

It also increases the likelihood of people who do not know they are donor-conceived, finding out that they are, which can be very distressing.

Can I access information if my donor donated outside of a licensed fertility clinic?

Some people choose to find a donor through a private arrangement – unregulated donation - such as through a website. The HFEA only regulates licensed UK centres and does not collect any information on its Register database about fertility treatment which takes place without the oversight of a UK licensed centre.

Who is the HFEA?

The HFEA is the UK’s independent regulator of fertility treatment and research using human embryos. It ensures everyone accessing fertility treatment receives high quality care and supports patients by providing free, clear, and impartial information about fertility treatment, clinics and egg, sperm and embryo donation.

Since donor anonymity law changed in 2005, it also offers the Opening the Register (OTR) service, through which it releases specific categories of information to donor-conceived people, their parents or their donors.

Find out more at hfea.gov.uk.

I am an identifiable donor, what information will the HFEA provide about me to an eligible donor-conceived person who applies for it?

By law the HFEA must provide a donor’s full name, any previous names, date place and country of birth and last known address when a donor-conceived individual applies for it.

I am an anonymous donor, how can I remove my anonymity if I want to?

Anonymous donors can contact the HFEA to re-register so they are identifiable to adults born as a result of their donation who are over the age of 18.

Please be aware that if you remove your anonymity by re-registering as an identifiable donor, your anonymity cannot be re-instated at a later date.

Donors who do not want to remove their anonymity (ie. re-register as identifiable) can still update their non-identifying personal information such as their good will message or pen portrait (a message a donor can leave for the donor recipient or any donor-conceived child born as a result of their donation), giving donor-conceived children much needed insight into where they came from.

We provide information for donors on this page of our website to help guide them when updating these messages: Your message to future donor-conceived families.

I don’t know if any children were conceived from my donation, how can I find out?

Donors can access information about the outcome of their donation through an online form on the HFEA website which includes the sex and year of birth, allowing them to anticipate any approaches from children conceived as a result of their donation in the future.

I am 18 or over and am eligible to apply for identifying information about my donor, how can I apply for this?

Using an online form on the HFEA website applicants, once 18, can apply to the HFEA to find out their donor’s full name, date of birth and their last known address. Before you do though, you should use the information available via hfea.gov.uk or speak to a counsellor about the implications of accessing this information and making contact.

I am donor-conceived and under 16, or a parent of a donor-conceived person under 16, what information can I access?

Donor-conceived individuals who are 16 can find out their donor’s physical description, year and country of birth, ethnicity, any medical information provided and if their donor had any children, using an online form at hfea.gov.uk.

Parents of children under 16 can request non-identifiable information about their donor on their behalf.

I am a donor-conceived person aged 16 or above, what information can I access about my donor and any donor siblings I may have? What information can I access at age 18?

Once a donor-conceived person turns 16, they can access this same non-identifying information about their donor and other children born from their donor independently of their parents. When they are 18, if they were conceived with an identifiable donor, they can additionally access the donor’s identifying details.

They can also join Donor Sibling Link, which allows donor-conceived children over the age of 18 to exchange contact details if both parties consent to this.

What do I need to think about when deciding whether to contact my donor?

There are many things you might want to think about when deciding whether you wish to contact your donor. It may be helpful to discuss this with family or friends, or seek professional support. More information on things to think about can be found here.

You can find out about support which may be available (such as specialist counselling, intermediary services or peer support) here.

I am a donor-conceived person, where can I seek support?

You may find the following pages useful:

Get support and advice

Support and intermediary service

From our partners:

Support for donor-conceived people and their families (Donor Conception Network)

Donor information from before August 1991 (Donor Conceived Register)

The British Infertility Counselling Association (BICA) has details of counsellors with expertise in supporting people dealing with issues around infertility, including donor conception.

For advice about other counselling services in the UK, contact the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Your GP should also be able to refer you to a counsellor on the NHS.

The Counselling Directory is a comprehensive database of UK counsellors and psychotherapists.