I have donated sperm, eggs or embryos since 1 January 2010

On this page

1. I have donated sperm, eggs or embryos since 1 January 2010
2. Mandatory information
3. Who can access my information?
4. Can I remove my information from the Central Register?
5. What kind of information can I get about offspring from my donated sperm, eggs or embryos?
6. What do I have to do to register or apply for information?
7. How will the NSW Ministry of Health let me know?
8. Further information

I have donated sperm, eggs or embryos since 1 January 2010

If you have donated sperm, eggs or embryos since 1 January 2010 you do not have to take any action to ensure that your information is recorded on the Central Register. ART Providers will have already collected the required mandatory information from you when you donated your sperm, eggs or embryos and provided your information to the NSW Ministry of Health for inclusion on the Central Register following the birth of each offspring conceived from your donation..

Any person who was conceived from your sperm, eggs or embryos and who is over the age of 18 years can apply for identifying information about you. The earliest this can occur is 2028. In the interim, parents of a donor conceived child can apply for non-identifying information.

Mandatory information

If you donated after 1 January 2010, or if your previously donated sperm, eggs and embryos were used after 1 January 2010, the ART Provider would have collected the following mandatory information from you for inclusion on the Central Register:

• full name
• residential address
• date and place of birth
• ethnicity and physical characteristics
• medical history or genetic test results of the donor or the donor’s family that are relevant to the future health of:
• a person undergoing ART treatment involving the use of the donated sperm, eggs or embryo, or
• any offspring born as a result of that treatment, or
• any descendent of any such offspring
• the name of each ART provider where you had donated sperm, eggs or embryos and the date each donation occurred
• the sex and year of birth of each offspring.

Once any donor conceived offspring have turned 18 years of age (i.e. in 2028), they can apply to the Central Register for any or all of the above identifying information.

Who can access my information?

Any person born as a result of donated sperm, eggs or embryos after 1 January 2010, can apply to access identifying information about their donor once they have turned 18 years of age (i.e. in 2028).

Parents of donor conceived individuals can apply to have access to non-identifying information about their child's donor. In addition, parents of a child born as a result of sperm, eggs or embryos donated after 1 January 2010, can seek to access identifying information prior to the child turning 18 years of age in the event of a medical emergency or life threatening situation. Should such a situation occur parents of those children can apply to the Secretary of the NSW Ministry of Health for assistance in obtaining the necessary information about their child’s donor.

Can I remove my information from the Central Register?

All mandatory information must remain on the Central Register and cannot be removed.

What kind of information can I get about offspring from my donated sperm, eggs or embryos?

Where the donation resulted in offspring conceived after 1 January 2010, mandatory non identifying information held by the NSW Ministry of Health on the Central Register can be provided as prescribed by law, currently the sex and year of birth of each offspring.

Identifying information can be provided to parents of children who are donor conceived after 1 January 2010 without consent but only in special circumstances.

What do I have to do to register or apply for information?

Before registering or applying for information NSW Health strongly recommends that you discuss this matter with a counsellor.

To register or apply, download and complete the application form and send the completed form to the NSW Ministry of Health together with 100 points of identification.

How will the NSW Ministry of Health let me know?

When an authenticated match has been made between donor and offspring/other offspring, the NSW Ministry of Health will notify you via Registered Post that a match has been made. To ensure you are able to receive the result in a supported way, you will also receive information about how to access the relevant ART provider and counselling.

Further information

See The Central Register and the list of Frequently asked questions (FAQs) for further information about the Central Register, mandatory information and the process that the NSW Ministry of Health and NSW ART providers undertake in order to facilitate the exchange of information.