The Voluntary Register (Register) provides a way for people involved in assisted reproductive services using donated human reproductive material to share information.

People born as a result of the uses of donated human reproductive material such as sperm, eggs or embryos are referred to as donor offspring in this pamplet.

Persons who donated sperm, eggs or an embryo are referred to as donors.

The Director General of the Department of Health has established a Voluntary Register to help people involved in the donation of human reproductive material to get information about each other where both parties have registered.

Registration on the Register is voluntary. Identifying information about a person is only entered on the Register if the person completes a properly signed and witnessed written registration form. The Register then records the names, contact details and any further information provided by the person registering. Identifying information will not be provided to any other person without the consent of the person registering.

The Voluntary Register may include details of people involved in donation since assisted reproductive services started in Western Australia, probably in the early 1970s. However, its operations will be influenced by whether the donation was made before or after the Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991 cam into operation, on 8 April 1993.

Central records have only been stored since April 1993. The only records available before that time are those held by the fertility clinics and medical practitioners that provided such services. Because detailed records were not always kept in the early days it will be very difficult to match records for donors and donor offspring where donations were made before the early 1980s.

People, who donated human reproductive material or were born as a result of a donation, wishing to join the Register will be asked to provide an authority so the Register can try to obtain information on their behalf from the clinic that provided the service. They can also provide additional information about themselves for inclusion on the Register.

The Register will attempt to match the records of a person who join the Register with the records of the other person/s involved in the donation. A 'match' means information is available which conclusively links the donor with the person or couple who received the donation.

If a match is confirmed, non-identifying information, that is information that gives details about another person, but does not identify him or her, may be provided to parties to the donation who are on the Register.

No information at all may be available if a 'match' cannot be confirmed by checking the available records.

It is easier to 'match' people involved in donation since 1993, as, since that time, information on all assisted reproductive services is held on a central register - the Reproductive Technology Register. However, the non-identifying information may be limited. The provision of additional information to the Voluntary Register will help to redress this.

Identifying information, that is, information that identifies or has the potential to identify a person, may be provided to other adults involved in the donation, only with the consent of the person to whom the information relates. When people apply to join the Register they will be asked to indicate if they are willing to share identifying information with the other parties to the donation.

Offspring in different families may have been born as a result of the donations made by the same donor. Thus, offspring in one family may have half-sibilings in other families. These related donor offspring may wish to share information with each other through the Register. This may be done without identification of the donor unless the donor has consented to be identified.

Any adult person who was involved in a donation who wishes to join the Voluntary Register must complete a properly signed and witnessed registration form that can be obtained from the Registrar, Voluntary Register. Parents may make a registration on behalf of their children who are under 18.

People who join the Register may put their wishes about contact with the other person involved in the donation in writing when joining the Register.

Donors are encouraged to place their names on the Register to make it easier for offspring to obtain information about their origins.