Donor Conception and the Search for Information

Sonia Allan is Associate Professor of health law at Macquarie University, and Head of Department of Health Systems and Populations. She has been a legal academic for over a decade, and has worked in both legal and health contexts. Sonia has published nationally and internationally. She was a Melbourne University Research Scholarship recipient for the duration of her PhD; a 2011 Churchill Fellow for her contribution to Australian society through her international and comparative research into donor conception; a 2011 ‘Global Health Law Fellow’ at Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC; and received an AMP Tomorrow Fund Grant in 2014. Sonia has, throughout her career, also been active in community outreach and influential in law reform. She has participated in numerous Australian state and federal inquiries on assisted reproduction, as well as inquiries abroad. She has been cited extensively in resulting reports; instrumental in changing laws related to access to information by donor conceived people; and continues to be called upon to consult or comment on issues related to the development of the law.

INTRODUCTION

PART I – DONOR CONCEPTION, SECRECY AND ANONYMITY

Chapter 1: A brief history of donor conception, secrecy and anonymity.

Chapter 2: The call for information: donor conceived people, recipients and donors.

Chapter 3: The search.

PART II - REGULATORY APPROACHES AROUND THE WORLD

Chapter 4: Jurisdictions that have laws granting access to identifying information.

Chapter 5: Jurisdictions that enable both ‘open-identity’ and anonymous donation.

Chapter 6: Jurisdictions that have laws enshrining anonymity.

PART III – ANONYMITY OR OPENNESS?

Chapter 7: Examining arguments underpinning donor anonymity.

Chapter 8: Placing the issues in a Human Rights Framework.

Chapter 9: Information for All? Opening records from the past.

PART IV

Chapter 10: CONCLUSION

INDEX