Egg and sperm donation through HFEA licensed clinics: for parents
UK fertility law was designed to help those conceiving with an egg or sperm donor provided by a UK licensed clinic. This makes the legal issues clear cut.
The donor will have no legal rights or responsibilities as a parent and, since they will be unknown to you, there is no fear in practice of unwanted involvement in your child’s upbringing.
The rigorous regulatory framework of licensed treatment in the UK also means that donors will have been fully screened and tested by medical professionals (and in the case of donor sperm quarantined).
If you conceive at a clinic in the UK, details of your treatment and any child you conceive will be held on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s Register of Information. While donors are anonymous to you as recipients, your child will have rights to access the information kept on the Register as he or she grows up. Your child will be able to access certain information about your donor, including the donor’s name and address once he/she reaches the age of 18. Your child may also be able to use the Register to get in touch with any genetic half siblings conceived by other families once he or she is 18. It is important to understand how these rules work, so that you know where you stand and can communicate effectively with your child as he or she is growing up.
For more detailed information, visit Natalie Gamble Associates' pages on donor conception law.