FAQs about Disclosure of Donor Codes

20 March 2009

What are donor codes?

Donor codes are a 'reference number'; an internal, administrative tool used by clinics to track the use of an individual donor's eggs or sperm. Some parents of donor conceived children also use these codes to help them find donor siblings using contact networks and groups that aim to support these families.

Since 2004, clinics and the HFEA have provided these codes to patients on request as long as the code did not include information that could potentially identify the donor, such as a donor's initials or date of birth.

Why have you changed your policy about donor codes?

We became more aware of the risks. Different clinics may use the same method to allocate codes, for example, they may use sequential numbers (e.g. 1001, 1002 and so on). There is currently no single, national code allocation system. This means that different donors, who donated at different clinics, may end up with the same donor code.

Other risks include the use of codes by donors themselves to contact donor-offspring or their families before those children reach the age of eighteen and can give consent to that contact.

Does this affect donor codes for egg donors as well?

Yes. Codes are given to those who donate sperm or eggs. It also applies to embryo donors.

Can people still use the donor codes they have already?

Donor codes that have already been provided may already be used by parents to trace donor siblings. However, those who do use these codes for this purpose should be aware of the risks of mis-identification and may wish to carry out further checks to ensure that the children they believe to be half-siblings are in fact genetically related.

I would like to have further treatment using the same donor 's sperm as I used for my existing child. How can I make sure the same sperm is used?

You don’t need to know the donor code because your clinic will hold detailed records about your treatment, including details of the donor used. Your clinic will also be able to tell you if that donor's sperm is still available. Each donor can be used to create up to ten families so, as long as that donor is still available, it should be possible for you to use the same sperm.

However, some patients ask clinics to 'reserve' sperm from a particular donor for use in the future treatments. For more details about whether this is possible in your case, ask your clinic.

Why can’t the HFEA help people find donor siblings?

The HFEA has a legal duty to safeguard the confidentiality of people whose details are held on our Register, including donors and donor conceived people. However, we can and do provide non-identifying information such as the number and year of birth of donor siblings.

Further, in October 2009, new legislation allowed the HFEA to set up a sibling register, which will enable donor-conceived people aged 18 or over to consent to be put in touch with their donor-conceived genetic siblings.

Page last updated: 23 March 2009

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