If you are new to Donor Conceived UK…Welcome!
Very recent research suggests that there could now be more than 400,000 Donor Conceived People (DCP) in the UK!
Donor Conceived People (DCP) have historically been a marginalised and invisible community.
We were not party to the contract that others signed but significantly affects our lives.
We want to hold the key to our own genetic truth.
Please be aware of the following:
- Donor Conceived UK has been created to centre Donor Conceived People (DCP).
- Donor Conceived UK was created in January 2024 following a Consultation with Donor Conceived people in the UK. Please read the DCR RP/DCUK Consultation document for the outcome of that Consultation.
- The law was changed in 2023 so that gametes (sperm and oocyte) can be stored for up to 55 years in the UK. In principle, this can lead to donor conceived siblings with a 50-year age gap or a biological parent that is over 100 years old when the donor conceived child is born. Taken together, the lived experience of navigating surprising realisations, new relationships, and unanswered questions can take a significant toll on DCP.
Where to start at Donor Conceived UK if you are Donor Conceived:
- If you have just found out that you are Donor Conceived, please read this post first: What to do when you first find out you are Donor Conceived
- This is the second post that you should read on our website: Some of the challenges of being Donor Conceived…
- Sign up at the bottom of our home page for our Donor Conceived UK Newsletter, which we aim to publish once a quarter.
Where to start on Donor Conceived UK if you aren’t Donor Conceived:
- Sign up at the bottom of our home page for our Donor Conceived UK Newsletter, which we aim to publish once a quarter.
- Learn to use the right language when talking about Donor Conception.
- Read our response on our “UK Legislation” page to the recent HFEA Proposals on Modernising Fertility Law.
- Read some of the UK news articles and International news articles listed that show how other DCP have navigated their donor conceived journey.
- We have lots of resources and research available on our website and this is growing all the time. These pages include links to the following, all of which are great places to start:
- Many of our community have written about their DCP experiences on our website and these will be useful for you to read so you can start to understand the myriad of different facets of what being donor conceived can mean.
- Finally…are you sure that YOU aren’t Donor Conceived?