Monday 9 July 2012

Exciting times ahead!

I am delighted to have been selected on to the new HFEA National Strategy Group for Donation.  I believe there is still much work to be done in raising awareness of the realities of donor conception, for both the donors and the families they help to create and look forward to exciting times ahead.

My fertility career began in 2004 with Infertility Network UK, in my first week attending the HFEA conference to hear the announcement of the decision to remove anonymity for donors the following year. 
I now work as a counsellor across two busy London clinics: the London Women’s Clinic and the Bridge Centre and also at the London Sperm Bank. But my clients aren’t all current patients and donors, often I see people coming back to access specialist support many years after they became a donor, whether altruistically or through an egg share programme.

They may be seeking support in telling their children that they previously enabled others to become parents themselves, or are now looking to tell their children that they are donor conceived. Sadly many donors are unaware of this support and also of the ability to contact the HFEA at any time to re-register as an identifiable donor if you donated prior to April 1st 2005.

Donors are also able to contact the HFEA to update or indeed create a pen sketch and/or good will message if you did not provide one previously. 

Anyone can find out more about becoming a sperm donor by contacting the London Sperm Bank or becoming and altruistic egg donor or an egg donor through egg sharing by contacting the London Women’s Clinic or Bridge Centre.