DCSG | Inquiry

National Consumer Advocacy

National Inquiry into Donor Conception Practices

The National Executive Committee has begun work on the process of getting a Senate Enquiry into donor conception. The reason we feel this is necessary is because we have pushed state governments for many years to follow the lead of Victoria and protect donor conception records and provide guaranteed access to knowledge of their donors for donor offspring.

The work that has gone into trying to do this for so long has been enormous and very disheartening for those few who have put so much effort into trying to get legislation and not achieving it.

We feel that we might have a better chance of achieving legislation be it state or federal if we have an enquiry which will bring into the open what is desperately needed for all people born of donor conception, their families and also donors and their families.

We have decided on the advice of some friends in federal parliament that the best committee to hold this enquiry is the Senate Human Rights Committee. We will be pushing for this committee to hold the enquiry on the basis that the right to know who are related to is a basic human right.

Also it should not depend on which state you were conceived in to have that right. As you all know only those people conceived in the state of Victoria have been given the right to know who their donors are.

We will keep you informed of what we are up to via the newsletter. If any members would like further information or would like to be put on an email list to get short up dates please contact DCSG direct.

Consumer Advocacy update

Andrew who has recently taken on this role reported that he is currently involved in a number of projects, although some are purely as an individual and may not be applicable to the committee role. He thought it may be of interest to the group.

Private discussion paper on the desirability of allowing a donor to give some direction to a gamete or embryo donation. ITA replied that the only course of action under the ACT would be to advertise and recruit a known receipient.
Based on the above was asked by the ITA to do a presentation at the ITA symposium.
Based on the above was invited by Dr Maggie Kirkman to contribute a chapter for a book that she is co-editing. If accepted it will be about directed donation.
Scarcity of hard data on many donor issues. Mentioned this issue to an IVF counselor turned out that two counselors from different clinics were considering conducting research into this subject. The resources have been pooled in order to conduct a combined research and are currently under review by the research and ethics committees at both clinics. Initially it will involve donor sperm conceived children. Suggested that the reporting shuld take a number of forms so that it would maximize its usefulness to different stakeholders.
Handling approaches from donor conceived adults. Was approached by a donor conceived adult at a social re unsuccessful attempts to obtain information about her donor. Matter referred to an IVF counselor who is interested in pursuing these matters. Asked if these procedures could be subject to review and if submissions might be made by various stakeholders.

The Donor Conception Support Group of Australia Inc.
PO Box 53
Georges Hall NSW 2198
Telephone (02) 9793 9335

Email: dcsg@optushome.com.au (direct email link)