• What you can find out
  • If you were conceived before 1 August 1991
  • If you were conceived between 1 August 1991 and 1 April 2005
  • If you were conceived after 1 April 2005
• Get support & advice
• Apply for information
• FAQs about requesting donor information

The HFEA has a record of all births as a result of assisted conception treatments in all licensed UK fertility clinics from 1 August 1991 – the date the HFEA was set up – and onwards.

In the UK, from when the first baby was born through IVF fertility treatment in 1978 through to 1991, around 8700 babies were born following fertility treatment. Although we do not hold information about your donor if you were conceived before 1 August 1991, it does not mean that you have come to a dead end.

There may be opportunities for you to find information about your donor and donor-conceived genetic siblings.

Be aware, however, that before the HFEA was set up in 1991, there was no central repository of donor information. This means that people conceived before this date are likely to have much more difficulty tracing their donor. There are, however, a couple of options you may wish to pursue.

Donor Conceived Register

The Donor Conceived Register was set up on 1 April 2013 to replace the UK DonorLink(UKDL) and facilitates contact between donors and their donor-conceived children conceived before 1 August 1991.

Those affected by donation before 1 August 1991 are able to sign up to a contact register.

For more information see:

• The Donor Conceived Register website

At the clinic

The clinic where your parents were treated may still hold records of your donor and may be able to give you some anonymous information. Alternatively they may have the details of the clinic where the donation took place and you may be able to contact them.  Many clinics however will have closed down, or destroyed their records.

Page last updated: 18 April 2013

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