Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the NSW Health Central Register?2. When will the Central Register start?
3. What are Transitional Arrangements for the Central Register?
4. What are the voluntary arrangements for the Central Register?
5. If I provide information voluntarily, how long will my details stay on the Central Register?
6. How long will it take to get access to information that has been voluntarily provided?
7. Why are my records being sent to an ART provider?
8. What if I don’t know which ART provider was used or if the clinic has now closed?
9. I am a parent of a donor conceived child. Can I voluntarily place their details onto the Register on their behalf?
10. I donated sperm to a clinic about 30 years ago under the condition of anonymity. Is my privacy still secure?
11. I am a previous donor and only want to place my medical history on the Central Register for the benefit of any offspring.
12. What if I change my mind?
13. How will I get my information about my donor?
14. What if I want to meet my donor/offspring?
15. What if my donor or other offspring is not on the Register?
16. Can I advertise for a sperm, egg or embryo donor?
1. What is the NSW Health Central Register?
The Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2007 (ART Act) and the Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation 2009 (ART Regulation) establish a Central Register (Register).
The Register will contain information about donors and children born as a result of ART treatment using donated gametes (sperm, eggs and embryos) and children who are born from a surrogate.
This information can be accessed by children (once they have turned 18) conceived using donated eggs, sperm or embryos, their parents and donors, or children who were born from a surrogate.
2. When will the Central Register start?
The ART Act and the ART Regulation commenced on 1 January 2010.
This means that if conception, using donated sperm, eggs or embryos, occurs after 1 January 2010 it will be mandatory for information about a donor to be included on the Central Register once a child is born.
3. What are Transitional Arrangements for the Central Register?
In order to allow people to complete their families, the transition provisions allow women:
- who had embryos created using donated sperm, eggs or embryos in storage before 1 January 2010 to continue to use those embryos until 1 January 2015;
- who have conceived a child as a result of ART treatment using donated before 1 January 2010 and who have the same donor’s sperm, eggs or embryos in storage before 1 January 2010 to continue to use those same donor sperm, eggs or embryos before 1 January 2013.
Details about births that fall within the transitional provisions will not be included on the Central Register unless volunteered.
4. What are the voluntary arrangements for the Central Register?
The voluntary arrangements for the Central Register have been established to assist those who were donor conceived prior to 1 January 2010 to apply to access information about their donor or other offspring conceived from the same donor. Information is only exchanged between donors and donor offspring when both parties have voluntarily applied to be on the Central Register and have consented to having their details provided to each other.
5. If I provide information voluntarily, how long will my details stay on the Central Register?
Your voluntary details will stay on the Central Register until you request in writing that they may be removed. It is important that you advise the NSW Ministry of Health of any change to your contact details.
6. How long will it take to get access to information that has been voluntarily provided?
If you are a donor, donor offspring or seeking information about a genetic sibling, once the NSW Ministry of Health receives your forms and verifies your name and age, your details will immediately be placed on the Register. The Ministry of Health will then send your details to the nominated ART provider for authentication and possible matching with either a donor or other offspring from the same donor and this will take up to 60 days.
Please remember that it will only be when the other party has also voluntarily provided their details to the Central Register and has given their express consent for information to be released, that information can be provided to you.
7. Why are my records being sent to an ART provider?
The NSW Ministry of Health does not hold personal health records, these are held by individual doctors and clinics. The NSW Ministry of Health is working with NSW ART providers to facilitate any required exchange of information for the Central Register.
8. What if I don't know which ART provider was used or if the clinic has now closed?
If you don’t know which ART provider was used, or if the clinic has now closed, your records will be sent to all ART providers in NSW, in order to attempt to find a match for you.
9. I am a parent of a donor conceived child. Can I voluntarily place their details onto the Register on their behalf?
No. Only those over the age of 18 can voluntarily place themselves onto the Register. As a parent of a donor conceived child, and if the donor used for your child’s conception has placed themselves on the Register, then you will be able to access non-identifying information about them, for yourself.
10. I donated sperm to a clinic about 30 years ago under the condition of anonymity. Is my privacy still secure?
Yes. The voluntary exchange component of the Central Register is just that, voluntary, and the Central Register does not operate retrospectively. Only donors whose donated sperm, eggs or embryos were used prior to 1 January 2010, and who voluntarily place their details onto the Register and who consent to having their information released, will be able to be contacted or have their information accessed in accordance with their own wishes.
11. I am a previous donor and only want to place my medical history on the Central Register for the benefit of any offspring.
That is fine. Anyone who was a donor, or who was donor conceived before 1 January, 2010, can choose to just place information on the Central Register and nothing more. There is no obligation to provide anything more than you choose to.
12. What if I change my mind?
If you have voluntarily provided information to the Register, and provided consent to information being released about you, and you later change your mind, you can remove your information.
Simply notify the Ministry of Health in writing of your decision to remove your details and this will be done.
13. How will I get my information about my donor?
Once the Ministry has gone through all checks, information that the donor has provided consent for will be sent to you via Registered Post. Advice will contain the released information, information about counselling providers and confirmation of the ART provider.
14. What if I want to meet my donor/offspring?
The Ministry of Health encourages anyone contemplating meeting with a donor, or other offspring from the same donor, to speak to a counsellor first. Please be aware that most counsellors are private practitioners and therefore will charge a fee for consultation.
15. What if my donor or other offspring is not on the Register?
Your voluntarily provided details, will remain on the Register and in the event that your donor or other offspring from that donor comes forward at a later time, and provides express consent you will be notified.
16. Can I advertise for a sperm, egg or embryo donor?
Yes. In NSW, advertisements can be published for a donor. However, it is an offence to provide money or other inducements, other than reasonable expenses, to the donor to donate.
Ministerial approval to advertise is not required in NSW. However, the law differs in other States and Territories and you should check with the relevant authorities in other States and Territories if you wish to advertise there.