All donor-conceived Victorians will now be able to access available identifying information about their donors – even if the donor was promised anonymity.
Last night the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act Amendment Bill 2015 was successfully passed, bringing relief to many donor-conceived people who, until now, were denied access to information about who they are.
Previously, only people born from sperm or eggs donated after 1998 could automatically find out available identifying information about their donors when they reach adulthood.
In 2015 the law was amended so that donor-conceived people born before 1998 could access this information, but only with donor consent.
The new law addresses this inequality.
The new law recognises that it is important for all donor-conceived Victorians to access information about their heritage, no matter when their donors donated.
It is now widely accepted that knowledge about one’s heritage can contribute to a person’s sense of identity and is also critical for medical reasons.
The Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) will manage access to information about donors and provide counselling and support for donors, donor-conceived people and their families.
