Donor conception register services

Donor conception registry services

What services does VARTA offer?

VARTA supports people involved in donor conception in Victoria to get the information they need and achieve their connection preferences.

VARTA offers the following services:

1. Applications to the Central and Voluntary Register

• VARTA assists people to make applications for information about people they are related to through donor treatment

2. Donor-linking

Donor-linking is an additional service to help people to have contact with their donor relative.

• For people who make an application to the Central Register, the following options are available:
  • exchange of contact details (ie. phone, email, postal address)
  • letterbox / intermediary service (up to 5 items; first 6 months only)
  • facilitated meeting
• Applicants to the Voluntary Register have the option of exchanging contact details

3. Educational Resources
Educational resources, including personal stories, are available via our website.  These resources are for the general public, including past applicants to the Registers.
 

What are the registers?

The donor conception registers (Voluntary Register and Central Register), are used to facilitate donor linking. 

Donor linking is the exchange of information between, or meeting of, people connected via donor conception treatment. Contact between parents, donor-conceived people and donors varies enormously and is based on personal preferences. It ranges from disclosure of limited information to occasional email communication, to ongoing contact. Sometimes people only update medical information so their genetic relatives can be notified about it.

The donor conception registers have different functions and contain varying information, depending on the quality and availability of records.

The Voluntary Register is a free matching service for people linked through donor conception treatment looking to connect. At least two linked people need to apply for a match to be found. The information available will depend on what the previous applicants have lodged on the Voluntary Register. This may include medical history, family tree and cultural background, interests, hobbies, physical features, photos, letters, videos and more. You can find out more about or apply to the Voluntary Register here. Anyone linked through donor conception is eligible to apply.

The Central Register contains existing Victorian donor conception records. Records are provided by the treating fertility clinics. These records include the parent’s full name(s); the child’s full name; date and place of birth; and the donor’s name, address and date of birth. There may be limited or no information available if the record no longer exists or cannot be found. The Central Register has both identifying information (name, date of birth, donor code, contact details) and non-identifying information (medical history, interests, hobbies, personality, physical features, month and year of birth, gender, education, occupation). An application fee applies. You can find out more about or apply to the Central Register here. Only donors, donor-conceived people, parents of donor-conceived people, and descendants of donor-conceived people are eligible to apply to the Central Register.

What happens when I make an application to the Central and Voluntary Registers?

• A case manager (referred to as an Information Officer) is assigned to oversee all applications to the Central and Voluntary Registers. The case manager provides information to both the applicants, and the subjects of an application, and they also manage all the correspondence throughout the process from start to finish;
• If a person is applying for identifying information, the case manager arranges a mandatory information and support session (ISS) to occur between the applicant and a counsellor.
• Following your session with the counsellor, the applicant is referred back to the case manager as the main point of contact to continue the process.
• If you are applying for identifying information, you will be required to complete a ‘Statement of Reasons’ (Central Register) or ‘Letter of Introduction’ (Voluntary Register). This will be provided to the subject to let them know why you are applying for information about them and what information you are seeking.
• Once the case manager has received your Statement of Reasons or Letter of Introduction, they will attempt to notify the subject(s) of the application. 
• In some circumstances, you may be required to undergo a DNA test to confirm that you and the subject of the application are related.
• If the application is about a donor who consented to treatment prior to 1998, the donor has four months from the date they are notified to respond to your application.
• In some scenarios the applicant, or the subject of an application may be distressed by learning information for the first time.  (For example, by outreaching to a subject of an application, they may learn that they are donor conceived for the first time, or a donor applicant may learn they have a larger number of donor conceived offspring than anticipated).  In these scenarios, VARTA will arrange an external counsellor to provide support.
• Once the case managers have received all of the required consents, the information will be released to you.

Things to consider

When donor conception was first practised in Victoria, sperm and egg donations were made anonymously. However, experience has shown that donors, donor-conceived people, their parents and close family often want to learn more about one another and are willing to share information about themselves. Curiosity is natural and healthy. People may be interested to know about medical history, genetic background, cultural background, personality, appearance, hobbies and interests. 

When deciding which register to apply for, consider the information that is most important to you. Only apply to one register at a time, you can always apply to the other register after you have been notified of your application outcome. You should also know that:

• Records may not be available. Some older records may have been destroyed or are incomplete. No information will be released if VARTA cannot satisfy itself that the applicant is related through the use of available records.
• VARTA may not be able to progress an application if the records have been destroyed or lost; the donor code is unavailable; the subject of an application does not consent to the release of identifying information where consent is required; or if the subject of an application cannot be located.
• For Voluntary Register applications, the people linked to you through donor conception treatment need to have made an application for a match to be found. The more people that apply the more information that is available.
• For Central Register applications, it is not always possible to find the person you are looking for. VARTA can refer to a specialist search agency to assist, although there is no guarantee of success.
• The emotional and practical considerations. People have reported a mix of emotions, including feeling excited or daunted.

Good outcomes are generally a result of:

• all parties being willing to exchange information or have contact
• each person having realistic expectations
• people approaching the process with an open mind
• no one feeling pressured
• people communicating honestly
• all parties considering each other’s point of view and their family situation
• the process not being rushed and people focussing on getting to know each other gradually.

Before you apply:

• Be realistic about what you want to achieve. Basic information only, detailed information, to meet or to have an ongoing relationship? Your expectations may be different to the person you are looking to connect with.
• Choose a time in your life free of other stressors with a good support system in place.
• Consider the implications for you, the person you are trying to connect to, and close family. Contact may be unexpected and at a difficult time for them.

The Registers, your information and privacy

In line with the Act, VARTA will use your personal information for:

• processing your application to the Voluntary Register or Central Register and donor linking services
• updating the Voluntary Register or Central Register
• statistical, educational, or reporting purposes.

Your information will only be disclosed to:

• an individual with whom you are linked through an application with your consent; or
• to a third party search body authorised under the Act that is involved in the linking process.

No other parties will have access to your information.

You can:

• choose not to provide information, however, it may be difficult for VARTA to process your application
• request that VARTA correct or amend information
• request access to your information at any time by contacting VARTA. If VARTA refuses this request, you may make an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).

More information on VARTA’s privacy and information disclosure policies can be found here.

You may request that VARTA correct or amend information on the Voluntary Register at any time. You may access your information at any time through a request to VARTA.

If you wish to contact VARTA to discuss its privacy and information disclosure policies or access your information, please contact us.

Privacy and information disclosure: VARTA is responsible for the management of the donor conception register under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 (Vic) (the Act). VARTA can only release information from the Central Register in accordance with the Act, or in other exceptional circumstances when required to do so by law. VARTA also has obligations under the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic).

How is information recorded on the Central Register?

Following the birth of a child born as a result of a donor treatment procedure, a Victorian ART provider is required to submit a birth notification to VARTA that confirms a range of details for recording on the Central Register, including information about:

• the person born as a result of the donor treatment procedure,
• the woman on whom the treatment procedure was carried out,
• the woman’s partner (if any) and
• the donor.

Information on the birth notification reflects contemporaneous records held by the clinic regarding the consent and counselling requirements under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 (the Act) that must be met before a woman and her partner (if any) commence donor treatment.

This means that if you (and your partner, if any) are undergoing or considering donor treatment, you must ensure that your clinic always has the most up-to-date information about your personal circumstances – which includes any changes to your relationship status (e.g. separation or divorce). If your relationship status changes, notifying your clinic as soon as possible because it may have significant legal implications. For example:

• If you and your partner consented to donor treatment together, you will both be recorded on the Central Register. This is the case even if the relationship subsequently ends.
• A person who received counselling and consented as a donor is not considered a legal parent of a donor-conceived child. They have no legal rights or obligations to the child born as a result of their donation or to the parent/s. A donor is not included on the birth certificate of a child born through donor conception.

What should I do if my circumstances change after I have consented to treatment as a patient, partner, or donor?

VARTA recommends that you notify your clinic as soon as possible if there are any changes to your personal circumstances. This may include (but is not limited to):

• separating from a partner who previously consented to donor treatment
• starting a relationship with a new ‘partner’ as defined under section 3 of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008.

How does VARTA share information with Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM)? And what information is included on a birth certificate?

VARTA is required to report to BDM all births that result from donor-treatment by a doctor or registered clinic in Victoria. VARTA’s information sharing arrangement with BDM ensures that the birth certificate accurately reflects the details of the parent and their partner (if any) who were counselled by and provided consent to the doctor or clinic before commencing the treatment that resulted in the birth of that child.

Before issuing a birth certificate, BDM confirm with VARTA that the information to be included on the birth certificate matches the information that is recorded on the Central Register.

To avoid any unnecessary delays in issuing the birth certificate, parents should:

• report the birth of their donor-conceived child to both BDM and their treating clinic as soon as possible after the child is born; and
• ensure the information reported is consistent and there are no discrepancies (ie. the parent(s) must be the same people who consented to the donor treatment)

All children born as a result of donor treatment in Victoria from 1 January 2010 have the fact that they are donor-conceived recorded on the Victorian birth register. When the child turns 18 and they apply for a copy of their birth certificate, they will receive an addendum on their birth certificate stating, in some manner, they are donor-conceived. Only the child themselves will receive this addendum and applications for birth certificates by parents or guardians will not record these details. The first of these certificates will be issued by BDM from 1 January 2028.

What happens if I provide incorrect information on my consent form or do not advise my clinic of a change in my personal circumstances (such as separating from my partner)?

If you do not provide the correct information on your consent form or fail to notify your clinic about any changes to your personal circumstances, there is a risk that the information submitted by your clinic to VARTA to record on the Central Register (as required by law) may not be accurate. If you have a child born as a result of donor treatment, this may also affect that child’s birth certificate.

If your child’s birth certificate contains inaccurate information because you did not notify your clinic about any changes to your personal circumstances, you may need to seek a court order to make any amendments to your child’s birth certificate. Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria (BDM) is responsible for issuing and amending birth certificates.

Please be advised that VARTA cannot retrospectively amend information recorded on the Central Register or create a new record to reflect a separation, new relationship, or any other change in personal circumstances if such a change is not supported by a clinic’s consent or counselling forms at the time of treatment.

It is also an offence under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008 (ART Act) to knowingly or recklessly give false or misleading information (or to omit material information) on a consent form, which includes false or misleading representations about the nature of the relationship between two people involved in the donor treatment.

Is VARTA involved in issuing my child’s birth certificate?

VARTA does not have a role in issuing birth certificates. However, the information recorded on the Central Register helps Births Deaths and Marriages (BDM) ensure that the information required to register the parents of a child born as a result of donor treatment is correct.

Further information on the requirements for registering as a parent on a birth certificate is available on BDM’s website.