Victoria, Australia was one of the first jurisdictions in the world to introduce legislation to regulate donor conception. Since this legislation was introduced 3500 children have been born using donor eggs, sperm or embryo in Victoria. The 'Time To Tell Campaign - Phase 2', an initiative of the Infertility Treatment Authority (ITA) to encourage parents to 'tell' their children that they were conceived using donated sperm or eggs, was launched on 8 August 2007. The ITA administers legislation regulating assisted reproductive technology in Victoria.
The second year of the three-year campaign by the ITA includes a focus on parents whose adolescent children were conceived using donated sperm or eggs. A 'telling' guide for parents of donor-conceived adolescents called, Telling It Your Way, and information about the donor registers is being publicised. The 'telling' guide is based on research conducted by Dr Maggie Kirkman and written with Professor Doreen Rosenthal, both from Melbourne University's Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, in collaboration with the ITA. Telling It Your Way can be accessed via the ITA's website. The research that led to the writing of Telling It Your Way, involved discussions with students, aged 14 to 18 years, from two Victorian secondary schools.
The research found that:
1. Most adolescents would want to know if they were donor conceived
2. Adolescents want their parents to be the ones who tell them
3. Adolescents understand why their parents might not have told them before
4. Even if there is an initial adverse reaction to finding out, adolescents thought honesty is still the best approach.
These findings were consistent with the known views of young adults who were conceived using donated sperm.
There has been worldwide interest in Victorian resources and information to assist parents 'telling' their donor-conceived children and young adults. The ITA's campaign website has received more than 80,000 hits in the past year with about half from outside Australia from over 50 different countries.
The 'Time To Tell Campaign' was launched to prepare families for the impact of 1984 legislation (enacted in 1988), which was felt for the first time in July 2006. From 1 July 2006, donor-conceived young adults on the donor registers began to turn 18 and could apply for identifying information about their donor. The donor can also apply for identifying information about the child. Parents can apply for information on behalf of younger children. However, the exchange of identifying information can only occur if both parties agree. This makes Victoria's legislation unique in the world.
Only a few applications to the donor registers have been from 18 year old adults affected by the 1984 legislation. The majority of applications have been from parents wanting information about donors for children not yet adult, older young adults (born prior to the legislation) and donors. Parents are also seeking assistance with 'telling' their children that they are donor-conceived.
We know from the adoption sector that adopted young adults often wait until they are in their mid-20s before making applications for information about birth parents and this can be related to starting families themselves. Future data will inform us about trends regarding applications from young donor conceived adults.
It is believed that only between 30 and 50 per cent of donor-conceived children in Victoria know the facts surrounding their conception. To date, donors contacting the ITA have taken this into account and have often registered information with the ITA in case young adults or parents of younger children want to seek information. While it is possible that in the future, a young adult may find out about their conception if contacted by the ITA following a request from a donor for identifying information, this has not been a problem to date. Donors have been sensitive to the circumstances of families formed through their donation many years ago. About 300 children on a Central Register, held by the ITA, have turned 18 and are eligible to apply for information from the ITA.
The response to campaign publicity has been very positive to date, the private way of obtaining information about 'telling' via the web site has been popular and with time people are gradually applying for information from the ITA's donor registers. Parents that have sought counselling help from the ITA with 'telling' children and adolescents have reported that the 'sky has not fallen in' and that a burden has been lifted from their shoulders.
In future, children born under revised 1995 legislation will be able to apply for information about their donor without the need for the ITA to seek further consent from the donor.
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