If you were conceived by donor conception before September 2004, South Australian law changes now offer you the right to access previously anonymous historic information about your genetic heritage retrospectively (where it is available) on the Donor Conception Register (DCR).
90-day delay period
If you were conceived through a donor conception treatment during or before September 2004, the release of the name and date of birth (identity information) of your parent’s donor(s), if held in the DCR (please refer to the historical donor conception information fact sheet (PDF 342KB) is subject to a once-off delay period of 90-days (the delay period) before being made available to you. The donor has the choice to waive this 90-day period, and also has the option to request a further 90-day extension to be granted.
The delay period commences when either:
- your parent’s donor(s) accesses (access) the DCR for the first time, if their identity information has been verified and is available on the DCR or
- if your parent’s donor(s) identity information was missing but has since been found and verified through an initial search process requested by yourself or another donor-conceived offspring of the same donor (i.e. your donor-conceived siblings(s)), and added to the DCR – whichever occurs first.
This delay period allows time for:
- the Government of South Australia’s Support Service (DCRSS) to conduct a search to locate your parent’s donor(s) if they’ve not registered as a DCR user before the initial 90-day period ends, to inform them of the changes to the law and the DCR
- the donor(s) to register to access the DCR to:
- update their information, contact preferences and other settings
- add any personal biographical or medical information
- view basic information about their connections
- talk to their family about their donation if they have not done so previously
- time for the donor(s) and you (if needed), to seek support from the DCRSS, or through your own preferred provider.
If the donor(s) cannot be contacted, the name and date of birth, if available, will be made available to you after the delay period ends.
In some circumstances, the delay period may be extended. For example, if the donor(s) is (are) located just before the end of the first delay period, an extension of up to a further 90 days may be granted to allow time for the donor(s) to take the actions outlined above.
The delay period is only applied to a pre-September 2004 donor once (including any extensions). Once the delay period is completed, their identity information will be made available in the DCR to their connections. The delay period does not apply to each individual connection.
Immediate access option and notifications
When pre-September 2004 donors complete their registration in the DCR, they have the option to forego the delay period and disclose their identity information immediately if they wish to do so.
If you choose to receive notifications from the DCR, you will be notified as a connection, when the information becomes available.
Access to your identifying information does not guarantee personal contact between you and your connections, due to the DCR’s contact preference system.
To learn more download DCR Fact Sheet – Contact preferences and notifications (PDF 234KB).
Support services
If you were conceived before September 2004 and were previously unaware you were donor-conceived and/or have been unable to access your genetic heritage information, you (and your family) could be experiencing emotional distress.
To access support, please contact health.donorconceptionregister@sa.gov.au
A confidential DCR Support Service (DCRSS) is available to support you, if you need it.
To learn more visit:
Access the DCR
To register as a DCR user now, visit Access the South Australian Donor Conception Register.