Page 18 - ASPIRE JANUARY 2023 Volume 8 / Issue 1

NEW ZEALAND
Milestone approaching for donor conceived individuals as IVF units ponder linkage roles
By Dr Emily Liu Country Representative
COVID-19 continues to impact on health services in New Zealand with the lifting of mask wearing rules in public and borders opening for international travellers.
However, life in this country has almost returned to normal even though masks are still required when visiting health care facilities, including IVF units.
New Zealand recently held a two-day Hui Collaboration as part of the research project Donor Identity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first meeting of its kind in the country, it was dedicated entirely to donor identity.
New Zealand is one of the few countries to have introduced laws removing donor anonymity in the context of third-party reproduction. With the passing of the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (HART) Act in 2004, registration of the identify of donors who donate their gametes or embryos became mandatory.
This enabled donor-conceived people in Aotearoa New Zealand to access identifying information about their donor.
The donor registry has reached a significant milestone for the first children born after the HART Act was introduced.
Emily Liu
On their eighteenth birthday, donor conceived individuals gain the ability to access identifying information about their donor.
Advocacy groups are calling for formalised support and public awareness initiatives
IVF units await the wider impacts of the HART Act provisions regarding their role in donor linkage. Advocacy groups are calling for formalised support and resources as well as public awareness.
Meanwhile, we are also looking forward to opportunities in 2023 for more international conferences on reproductive medicine.
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