Meeting the rights and needs of donor-conceived people: the contribution of a voluntary contact register

Abstract

In this paper we consider the recording of information in donor conception and access to this information by donor-conceived people. While our preference is for a formalised record (register) that mandates disclosure of donor identity, where the necessary political support for such a system does not exist then we suggest that a voluntary contact register could help to meet the needs and rights of donor-conceived people and to respect the dignity of others directly involved in donor conception and that counselling values and principles should underpin the operation of these register