In Australia if you use a fertility clinic there is no such thing as an “anonymous” donor – all donors are able to be contacted when a resulting child turns 18 (and potentially earlier by agreement). It is a very regulated environment, primarily to protect donor conceived children, so if they want to know about their genetics/medical history/family/identity etc when they are older they don’t have the barriers of previous generations. This is a great outcome for anyone considering having a child with help from a donor.
In this interview I talk to “J” who is an ID release donor through a fertility clinic. It was fascinating for me to talk to him and learn about his motivations for donation, the process for becoming a donor and what he thinks about his resulting children and the potential for having a relationship with them in the future.
Not only is this episode fantastic for anyone with donor conceived children, but also if you, or anyone you know, is considering becoming a donor, this would be a great episode to listen to in order to learn more. The demand for donor sperm in Australia (and most countries) is currently far greater than the supply, so I hope this episode might also help inspire some other men to consider the gift of a donation and help others create a family.
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