Image by Bill McConkey via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts sperm swimming towards an egg.
BioNews
DCR (Donor Conceived Register)
A name given in 2013 to a voluntary information and contact register that enables donor-conceived people, their donors and their half-siblings to exchange information and (where desired) contact one another. The register is for anyone over 18 who donated or was donor-conceived in the UK prior to August 1991.
34 articles
Image by Bill McConkey via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts sperm swimming towards an egg.
The evolution of egg, sperm and embryo donation: a sign of a specialty that never stands still
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's chair, Julia Chain, discusses the fascinating evolution of egg and sperm donation in the UK following the launch of their new 'Trends in Egg, Sperm and Embryo Donation' report...
Image by Bill Sanderson via the Wellcome Collection, © Wellcome Trust Ltd 1990. Depicts Laocoön and his family (from Greek and Roman mythology) entwined in coils of DNA.
The problems with lifting donor anonymity earlier
A possible review of the law relating to donor anonymity has been proposed by HFEA chief executive Peter Thompson...
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Personal genetic testing and the implications for the donor conception community
2017 was the year that personal genetic testing took off in a big way...
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
We need progress in French ART law
The first law on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) was passed in France in 1994 as part of the so-called 'bioethics legislation', which followed other European countries' legislation, such as the UK's 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology act. Fran
The conceptual foundation of the right to know one's genetic origins
In his commentary, Professor Guido Pennings argues there is no empirical evidence to support the assumption that it is in the best interests of children to know that they are donor conceived. We would like to add another layer to the critique, by focusing
Donor-conceived people do benefit from being told about their conception
Professor Guido Pennings' provocatively entitled BioNews commentary 'Donor children do not benefit from being told about their conception' purports to highlight the shortcomings of existing research supporting a pro-disclosure agenda and castigates couns
Book Review: Telling and Talking about Donor Conception with People Aged 17 and Over - A Guide for Parents
Olivia Montuschi's revised 'Telling and Talking' booklet aims to guide parents of donor conceived children aged 17 or over through the delicate process of disclosure...
Going home and forgetting about it: a different perspective on donors and donor conception
Until twelve years ago, most people donating eggs or sperm via a UK clinic would be anonymous. In the eyes of the law, this donation was a generous gift that was handed over without continuing responsibilities or ties for the donor. In fact, continued inv