Anonymity and the Identity-Release® Program
Understanding Anonymity and Sperm Donation
As a TSBC donor, you can choose to remain anonymous or to participate in our Identity-Release® Program. All donors go through the same screening process and TSBC maintains the same level of privacy protections for donors in both programs. Regardless of which program a donor participates in, at no time will TSBC release a donor’s identity to donor sperm recipients or the parents of children conceived using TSBC donor sperm. The difference between the programs is outlined below and relates to whether or not you are comfortable releasing your identity to adults conceived using your genetic material.
Donors in our Anonymous Program agree to donate samples to help others achive pregancy but do not wish to have their identifying information disclosed to adult offspring. We therefore keep the identity of our anonymous donors confidential and do not release this information to offspring, their parents, or any other party. However, with the advent of the internet and scientific breakthroughs in genetics, now and in the future, adult offspring may use other avenues to find individuals.
Identity-Release® Program donors agree that TSBC may release their identity at the request of their adult offspring (at least 18 years old). This program is designed to give donor-concieved adults the option of learning their donor's identity in case they have unanswered questions about their genetic background. It is not designed to create parental or family relationships between donors and their offspring. Our research has found that offspring are simply curious about what the donor is like, as well as wanting to learn more about their donor as a way of exploring their own identity. Others also want additional medical information. Choosing to participate in the Identity-Release® Program does not obligate you to meet offspring. This program provides offspring with an option to obtain their donor’s identity through a structured process and could decrease the likelihood of offspring using independent methods to locate their donor.
What else should donors know about the Identity-Release® Program?
We are always interested in recruiting as many donors as possible for the Identity-Release® Program. If you choose to remain anonymous, we will respect your decision. However, we know that open-identity donation is a new concept for many of our donors and we encourage you to consider participating in a program that would allow donor-conceived adults access to complete information about their genetic origins - something many of our donors say they would want if the roles were reversed. Our research indicates that donor-conceived adults want to learn more about their donor as a way to learn more about themselves. We believe the Identity-Release® Program leads to the best outcomes - not just for the donor-conceived individuals and their parents but for the donors as well.
Donors participate in this program for a variety of reasons. The most commonly stated reasons donors choose to participate in the Identity-Release® Program include:
- the donor felt that donor-conceived adults should have the right or chance to know to their donor's identity
- the donor would want to have this option, if he were donor-conceived
- the donor said he was curious about future offspring
- the donor has a personal connection, such as having a friend who is donor-conceived
One TSBC donor summed up his decision like this:
I tried to put myself in the shoes of someone who was the result of such a donation. I might not actually look up the donor, but it would be reassuring to have the option to do so.
Note: While Identity-Release® Program donors are not required to meet offspring, many donor-conceived adults hope to meet their donor. Men who are not comfortable with the prospect of future contact with donor-conceived adults may want to choose the anonymous program or even reconsider being a donor. Many prospective donors need time to consider the program.
It is fairly common for men to start as anonymous donors and after some time and thought to change to the Identity-Release® Program.
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