New Register for Donors and Donor Offspring
The Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Register was recently launched. It will give people conceived from donated embryos, sperm or eggs the opportunity to find out about their genetic origins. All future donations at fertility clinics which result in a birth will be included in the HART Register, and information about earlier donors and births can also be included.
The register, established as a result of the HART Act passed last year, will hold information about people who donate embryos, sperm or eggs, children born as a result, and their guardians. It will allow future donors and their offspring to find out about each other, and will also give people involved in earlier donor treatments the chance to do the same if they all give consent. Births, Deaths and Marriages (BDM), part of the Department of Internal Affairs, has responsibility under the HART Act to establish and maintain the register.
Providing information for the register is free, but some fees apply to access the information. Access to information on the register is carefully controlled. The information will only be available to those people to whom it relates, and to medical professionals if the information is required for providing medical treatment or advice.
BDM will also receive basic data from fertility clinics on donors, offspring and guardians for any donations made from today onwards that result in a birth. Fertility clinics will continue to hold more detailed information about these people for up to 50 years. Donors, offspring and their guardians can access that information under the terms of the HART Act.
A brochure about the HART Register and downloadable registration forms are available on the BDM website www.bdm.govt.nz. People requiring further information about the HART Register can call the BDM contact centre, freephone 0800 22 52 52
Contact for Enquiries
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Pastoral House
25 The Terrace
PO Box 2526, Wellington
Tel: 0800 00 83 33
Fax: +64 4 894 0720
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