Are You Thinking About Becoming A Donor?
Your decision to help someone have a child is a serious one and will have lifelong implications. It is important to consider the issues and discuss these in detail with your recipient (the person/people you donate to) if you know them. If you have a partner or children, it is also important to think through how this might affect them as well.
A doctor or counsellor at your clinic will provide you with medical information about donating sperm, eggs or embryos, and will help you explore the social and emotional concerns that may be associated with your decision. There are also legal consequences that result from donating sperm, eggs or embryos. Donors, recipients and individuals born as a result of the donation all have legal rights and responsibilities, which are specified in Victorian legislation. For example:
It is important that you understand the legal implications of your decision even if you know the person, or couple, to whom you will be donating.
Individuals born from donor procedures have a right to information that will help them trace their biological origins when they turn 18. Recipients and donors also have the right to information under certain conditions.
The clinic that you attend is required by law to keep specific information about:
The Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages maintains a register of children born using donated sperm, eggs or embryos. This Central Register will contain information about you (the donor), the recipient family and the person who is born. The Central Register ensures that children born from donor procedures are able to trace their biological origins. The register also makes possible other exchanges of information between the donor and the parents, but only with each person’s consent. More information about the Central and Voluntary Register can be found on the Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages website.
You will need to have some screening tests and be prepared to provide information about your medical and genetic history. If you become a donor you will be asked to complete information about your appearance, personality, education, message to the person conceived, and openness to contact which is given to the recipients. This is called a donor profile. It is useful to include as much information as possible and to contact the clinic if you or a close family member is diagnosed with a medical problem which may be passed on to any people born as a result of your donation. If you change address it is also impartant to notify the clinic.
You can access more specific information about what is involved in becoming a donor on assisted reproductive treatment clinic websites.
The clinic counsellor will explore with you and your partner the emotional and relationship issues associated with donating.
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It is important to think about:
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Why do you want to donate?
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How might you feel towards a child conceived from your donation?
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If you know your recipient; how might donating affect your relationship with them? Will you have contact with the child? If so how often? Who will know about your donation?
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If you don’t know the recipients; how would you feel if you were contacted by them or the person born as a result of your donation? Would you be prepared to give them information or be open to having contact with them?
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Who and what will you tell your family, friends, and children? How do they feel about this? Remember, they will be genetically connected with the person conceived as a result of your donation.
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People who use donor gametes see a counsellor and have a criminal records check and child protection order check, however they are not assessed in the same way parents who adopt are. How would you feel if the recipients have very different values and ways of parenting to your own values and ways of parenting?
If you have any concerns about these issues it is important not to proceed until you feel comfortable to do so. You can request more counselling or talk more with your recipient (if they are known to you). If it is not possible to resolve these issues it is better not to donate at all even if you feel you are letting the recipient down.
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