National donor conception register would prevent 'potential trauma', advocate says

ABC NEWS (Australia)

South Australia established an Australian-first online Donor Conception Register last year, lifting decades of secrecy surrounding anonymous donor births.  Hundreds of people have since joined seeking to unlock more information about their genetic history and prompting calls for a national register.

Transcript

00:00Catherine Dawson is searching for siblings she's never met.

00:06She's one of the estimated 60,000 donor-conceived Australians.

00:11Like many, her biological father's identity was kept a mystery.

00:15I was told you're not allowed to know who he is, you're not allowed to know who any of your siblings are.

00:20Since finding her donor's name, she's so far uncovered 53 half-siblings.

00:25But the 35-year-old believes there could be hundreds more

00:30and has joined South Australia's donor conception register hoping to find them

00:34and warn of a family cancer risk.

00:36There might be siblings I've got already that have developed bowel cancer

00:40and they should be checking from their mid-20s.

00:43428 people are on the register, which launched in February.

00:48The Australian First Portal allows donors and donor-conceived people to access information

00:53such as names, date of birth, gender and sibling details.

00:57Medical history and contact details can also be shared.

01:01SA Health says clinical records dating back to the 1970s

01:06when donors were granted lifelong anonymity can be damaged or missing.

01:11It's really, really important that this information is of high integrity and it is verified.

01:16So that can be frustrating when people are looking for a complete set of information quickly.

01:22My first thought was this is great. I'm going to be able to get answers for myself but also for all of us.

01:28Bec Kilday joins the register seeking more information for her 27 half-siblings who weren't conceived in SA.

01:35She says a national donor register would better share information between states and territories.

01:41My Victorian-conceived siblings don't have rights to access SA records.

01:46If there was a national register they would be able to access what records are available.

01:53People in Australia move around. We might be born in SA but live our adult lives in Queensland.

01:59And so absolutely a national framework would assist.

02:04A health minister's rapid review of the IVF sector last year highlighted the absence of a national donor register.

02:11The Federal Health Department says ministers have agreed to ask the Law Reform Commission

02:16to explore options for harmonising legislation nationally.

02:20A glimmer of hope for those still waiting for answers.

02:24And a better way to get answers.

02:29The third time, this year, is the Lizzo's deadline.

02:34I know there are a lot of people who do not get the same time or a half-siblings.

02:38But I know there is a lot of people who are going to pay attention to the other.

02:40But I know there is a lot of people who get the same opportunity for this matter.

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