Rights & Responsibilities of a Donor

Do I have any rights or responsibilities towards a child created from my donation?

Not if you donate through an HFEA-licensed clinic, which must conform to strict medical, legal and ethical standards.  This ensures that everyone involved in the donation process is clear about their legal position and is protected by the law.

You will have no legal obligation to any child created from your donation - you will not be their legal parent and you will not be named on the birth certificate.  Neither do you have any rights over how the child will be brought up, and you will not be asked to support the child financially.  You will be asked to provide information about yourself which a child born from your donation can access when they are 18 years old. Go to the HFEA website for more information.

If you plan to donate outside a licensed clinic, for example if you are considering donating fresh sperm, you may wish to consult a solicitor first.  Where fresh donated sperm is used outside an HFEA licensed clinic, the donor is considered by law to be the child's legal father, with all the responsibilities and rights that involves.

I am considering being an egg share donor.  Does that mean that I'm a donor?

Yes.  Egg sharinginvolves donating some of your eggs to other recipients.  This means that the rules regarding donation apply to you.  For more information go to the HFEA website.