Joining the Voluntary Register
Joining the Voluntary Register means you may
have an opportunity to share information with
people related to you by donor.
Are you ready to join?
It is important to take time to think and talk with
your partner and relatives so you understand
what this decision means for you and your
family.
You need to think about how you might feel if:

no donor related people have joined the
Voluntary Register

a donor related person wants to make
contact

you find you have a large number of
donor-related relatives

no information is available.
You may wish to get some advice from an
approved counsellor. A list of approved
counsellors is on the Reproductive Technology
Council website at www.rtc.org.au/counsellors
What information is available?
Availability of information will depend on when
you were conceived.
Before 1993 little information may be available
as there were no legal requirements to keep
records of donor identities.
There may be instances where there is no
donor code which is needed to link you with
donor related families and your donor.
Sometimes records no longer exist.
Matching biological relatives
A match is when two or more people who have
joined the Voluntary Register share the same
donor code.
If you wish to share identifying information you
must have a counselling session with an
approved counsellor. This session provides you
with an opportunity to discuss the implications
of sharing identifying information.
After you have completed the counselling
session, if you wish to proceed you will be
asked to sign a consent form for the release of
identifying information. You may share as little
or as much information you feel comfortable
with.
The other donor related persons on the
Voluntary Regtister will also need to have
counselling and consent to the release of
identifying information.
You can withdraw your consent up until the
time of release of identifying information. Some
people do have a change of heart and decide
not to proceed.
Who can join?
Applications to the register are accepted where
the treatment took place in, or the donation
originated in, Western Australia and you are a:

donor-conceived person (age 18 or over)

parent of a donor-conceived child
(less than 18 years of age)

sperm, egg or embryo donor.
How do you join?
For an application form or further information
contact the Reproductive Technology Unit on (08)
9222 4186.
There is no fee to join, however applicants must
pay for their own counselling sessions.
Produced by the Communications Directorate
© Department of Health 2017