Glossary for ​​assisted reproductive technology

​​Accessible information

Accessible information about a donor of a gamete is non-identifying information about:

  • the ethnicity and physical characteristics of the donor
  • the relevant medical history of the donor
  • the sex and year of birth of each offspring of the donor.

Individuals conceived prior to the commencement of the ART Act in 2010 as a result of ART treatment provided by an ART provider using a donated gamete, and those to whom the transitional provisions of the ART Act apply are entitled to de-identified information, known as accessible information, about their donor. Applications for this information can be made to either NSW Health or directly to the ART provider by people over the age of 18 years or the parent where the person is a child.

Affected parties

All people involved in a Surrogacy arrangement including the surrogate mother, her partner or children, the commissioning parent/s and their partners or other children.

ART provider

A person or organisation who provides Assisted Reproductive Technology services.

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

Any medical treatment or procedure that procures or attempts to procure pregnancy in a woman by means other than sexual intercourse, and includes artificial insemination, in-vitro fertilisation, gamete intrafallopian transfer as well as any other related treatment or procedure.

Donor

A person who has or will donate sperm, eggs or embryos for the purposes of assisted reproductive technology and treatment.

Donor code

A code given by the ART Provider, fertility clinic or doctor to the person who has donated their sperm, eggs of embryos.

Donor conceived

A person who was conceived using ART treatment with the use of donated sperm, eggs or embryo.

Donor offspring

A person who was conceived using donated sperm, eggs or embryo from a specific donor.

Egg, see also sperm

The egg is the female reproductive cell. The sperm is the male reproductive cell. Both cells are also known as "gametes".

Embryo

Once the cells start to divide after fertilisation the resulting organism is called an embryo until about eight weeks after fertilisation after which it is called a foetus.

Gamete

A mature reproductive cell that fuses with another reproductive cell of the opposite sex to form a zygote that develops into a new individual.

Genetic sibling

A person who shares a donor or parent with another person who was donor conceived.

Mandatory information

Mandatory Information refers to information an ART provider must provide to the Secretary for inclusion on the Central Register within two months after the birth of every live offspring born as a result of ART treatment provided by the ART provider using a donated gamete.

Ministry

The NSW Ministry of Health.

Secretary

The Secretary of the NSW Ministry of Health.

Sperm, see also egg

The sperm is the male reproductive cell, the egg is the female reproductive cell. Both cells are also known as "gametes".

Surrogacy

Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. The surrogate may be the child's genetic mother, or she may be genetically unrelated to the child. The sperm or eggs may be provided by the 'commissioning' parents, or donated sperm, eggs or embryos may be used.

Voluntary information

Voluntary Information refers to information on the Central Register that has been voluntarily provided by an adult who was donor conceived, parents of children who are donor conceived or donors of gametes.

Zygote

Zygote is the initial cell formed when sperm and egg join. It is the earliest developmental stage of the embryo. ​


Current as at: Monday 13 December 2021
Contact page owner: Private Health Care