The first young people affected by landmark changes to UK donor anonymity law are just days away from making history as they become the first donor conceived people eligible to find out who their donor is.
Around 30 people who were conceived by egg, sperm or embryo donation from donors who registered after 1 April 2005 will turn 18 this year, with the first celebrating birthdays in October. This gives them the right to request their donor’s full name, date of birth and last known address from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA). To raise awareness of this landmark moment, the HFEA – the UK’s fertility regulator - has launched its #WhoIsMyDonor campaign.
The #WhoIsMyDonor campaign aims to raise awareness of donor conception, of the information available to people affected by egg and sperm donation and how they can apply for it. It also acts as a fresh reminder for donors to update their information ahead of the first donor conceived people becoming eligible to apply.
The law changed in 2005 to ensure that everyone has a right to information about their genetic origins. This means that anyone who registered as an egg, sperm or embryo donor from 1 April 2005 would be identifiable once any child born from their donation turns 18. Not having information about your genetic origins has been shown in a number of studies to have a significant impact on donor conceived individuals and so donors who donated anonymously before the law changed, have long been encouraged to lift their anonymity via the HFEA if they are comfortable with this.
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