Support and
Further Resources
General Information
Overview of the different types of assisted conception:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/treatment/
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/
Having a child through surrogacy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you would like more detailed information, please see our factsheet.
Surrogacy:
The UK government is currently reviewing recommendations to overhaul surrogacy laws. Here are some links to read more about the proposed reforms and the response to them:
Surrogacy laws to be overhauled under new reforms
Maternity-Action-surrogacy-consultation-response-FINAL.pdf (maternityaction.org.uk)
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Anonymous gamete donation:
There is ongoing research around the harm caused by an ‘anonymous’ model of gamete donation, which many countries, including the UK, are moving away from. You can read more about the basis for the move away from anonymity here:
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Donors and surrogates
Organisations and support
HFEA: Information on egg, sperm and embryo donation from the UK’s regulatory body overseeing fertility clinics: Donors | HFEA
A Facebook group for Donor Conceived People, Donors, Recipient/Intended Parents, and those considering or involved in donor conception: Donor Conceived Best Practices and Connections
Donor Conceived Network: A UK-based charity who support families who have used or are thinking about using donor conception: Home - Supporting donor conception families since 1993 (dcnetwork.org)
A volunteer-run platform for egg donors based anywhere in the world: We Are Egg Donors
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Books
A book to help you discuss your decision to donate sperm with your children: MY STORY, MY GIFT - How I became a sperm donor - (for the children of sperm donors - unknown recipients) - DC Network
A book to help you discuss your decision to donate eggs with your children: MY STORY, MY GIFT - How I became an egg donor - (for the children of egg donors - unknown recipients) - DC Network
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Videos and guides
The University of Manchester have a video playlist covering their research on topics relevant to donors including information on talking to your children about your decision to become a donor, and the impact of donation on you and your family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KlEV7li0aI&list=PLvRUyisSeWeBu4CKjoBB4pmlYeVJuoSNG&ab_channel=UniversityofManchesterSociologydepartment
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The University of Manchester also have more information on their website, including a guide on preparing for potential contact from a person born via your donation: ConnecteDNA | Preparing your Family for the Possibility of Contact (manchester.ac.uk)
They have also produced a guide on finding the right balance of the responsibility that you as a donor have in the life of anyone born via your donation: Being_an_egg_or_sperm_donor_being_available_and_knowing_your_place.pdf (manchester.ac.uk)
Other useful resources
A very brief overview of some of the most common risks of fertility treatment:
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/risks-of-fertility-treatment/
An NHS resource on sperm donation: https://www.spermdonation.nhs.uk
An NHS resource on egg donation: https://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/ivf/egg-donation/
More information on how being a donor might affect your life and relationships: How donating sperm or eggs affects donors' own lives and relationships | PET (progress.org.uk)
A guide outlining what information about you the people born from your donated eggs or sperm have access to, depending on which year you donated in: Important information for people who have donated eggs, sperm or an embryo in the past. What you need to know (hfea.gov.uk)
Resources for surrogates
There are several UK government-approved surrogacy organisations, which, among other services, can help surrogates to find intended parents. Here are three:
These organisations will all have their own requirements and application procedures. The links included here are a starting point for your reading to get a sense of the process:
Surrogate Information Guide (surrogacyuk.org)
Become a surrogate in the UK - Brilliant Beginnings
Getting pregnant - fertility treatment process for UK surrogacy - Brilliant Beginnings
In 2022 the results of a survey of women who had been surrogates in England and Wales was released, with more information on surrogates’ views of their own experience: UK surrogates’ characteristics, experiences, and views on surrogacy law reform | International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
Recipient parents
Organisations and support
Donor Conceived Network. A UK-based charity who offer a membership to support families who have used or are thinking about using donor conception: Home - Supporting donor conception families since 1993 (dcnetwork.org)
Paths To Parent Hub. An organisation offering a membership model for families who have used or are thinking about using donor conception or surrogacy: https://pathstoparenthub.com
Paths to Parent Hub for LGBTQ+ individuals: LGBTQ+ Paths To Parenthub - Paths to Parenthub
Fertility Network UK. An organisation offering support and information for anyone affected by fertility issues: Fertility Network (fertilitynetworkuk.org)
Fertility Friends Support Forum. A forum community dedicated to infertility and fertility support: Fertility Friends Support Forum
BICA. Infertility counselling: BICA: Professional Infertility Counselling Association in the UK
More information on the types of support available: Getting emotional support | HFEA
A blog and resource library from someone who is both a recipient parent and a donor conceived person themselves: All Things Donor Conception by Hayley King
A blog and support site for parents going through fertility struggles: DefiningMum | Fertility, Loss and Donor Conception
A Facebook group for Donor Conceived People, Donors, Recipient/Intended Parents, and those considering or involved in donor conception: Donor Conceived Best Practices and Connections
Podcasts
Breaking Mum and Dad podcast has several episodes where guests talk about their IVF journey:
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/alison-perry-on-ivf-and-twins--45313090
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/izzy-judd-on-fertility-and-ivf--43616624
Using a known donor to become a solo mum: The Stork and I Podcast - S3: 10 Using a known donor to become a solo mum | Free Listening on Podbean App
ReDefining Parenthood podcast: ReDefining Parenthood Podcast | DefiningMum
Resources for talking to donor conceived children about their origins
Happy Together book series: https://www.happytogetherchildrensbook.com/
My Donor Story book series: My Donor Story: A Book Series for Donor-Conceived Kids
What Makes a Baby book: https://www.corysilverberg.com/what-makes-a-baby
Sensitive Matters personalised books: https://www.sensitivematters.net/
Understanding Childhood Development in the Context of Donor Conception – a three-part series: https://pathstoparenthub.com/understanding-childhood-development-with-avital-pearlman/
Donor Conception Network ‘Our Story’ series: Shop - DC Network
A study which finds that there are benefits to telling children early about their donor conceived origins: Assisted reproduction kids grow up just fine – but it may be better to tell them early about biological origins | University of Cambridge
Other useful resources
If you go through the IVF process you might be offered a discount for ‘egg sharing’. Find out more about what this process entails here Egg sharing | HFEA and here Subsidized IVF: the development of ‘egg sharing’ in the UK | Human Reproduction | Oxford Academic (oup.com)
Information on using a known donor: Closer-Connections-When-the-donor-is-someone-you-know-2022.pdf (dcnetwork.org)
A global study exploring the experiences of women going through infertility and IVF: Women's experience of infertility & treatment – A silent grief and failed care and support - ScienceDirect
Books on experiences of surrogacy
Surrogacy: Our family’s journey is a book detailing James Phillips’ personal account of going through the process of having twins via a surrogate in Thailand: https://troubador.co.uk/bookshop/autobiography/surrogacy
(M)otherhood: On the choices of being a woman by Pragya Agarwal examines motherhood and fertility. Part memoir and part reflective analysis, Agarwal shares her own experience of using a surrogate to carry and give birth to her twins: (M)otherhood - On the choices of being a woman by Pragya Agarwal – Canongate Books
Donor conceived people
Organisations and support
Donor Conceived UK: Donor Conceived UK – A new peer-led charitable organisation to represent donor conceived people, donors and others affected by donor conception practices in the UK
We Are Donor Conceived: https://www.wearedonorconceived.com They also have a magazine: We Are Donor Conceived Magazine - We Are Donor Conceived) and released a survey report in 2020 which sought responses from donor conceived people worldwide on their experiences: 2020 We Are Donor Conceived Survey Report - We Are Donor Conceived
Donor Conceived Community: https://donorconceivedcommunity.org
A Facebook group for Donor Conceived People, Donors, Recipient/Intended Parents, and those considering or involved in donor conception: Donor Conceived Best Practices and Connections
Donor Children: https://donorchildren.com and their affiliated Facebook page Donor Children Facebook page
The experience of being or finding out that you were conceived using assisted reproductive technology is individual, and for those who are experiencing negative feelings there are communities dedicated to exploring and affirming those feelings, such as:
Tangled Webs http://www.tangledwebs.org.uk/tw/
Media
‘Born from the Same Stranger’ is a four-part series which follows donor conceived people searching for more information on their donors, available to watch on ITVX: https://www.itv.com/watch/born-from-the-same-stranger/10a4041
BBC also ran one episode on a similar topic, ‘My Sperm Donor and Me’: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0ggqtv3/and-me-my-sperm-donor-and-me
‘You Look Like Me’ is a podcast hosted by donor-conceived journalist Louise McLoughlin as she searches for her biological dad: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/youlooklikeme/episodes/Trailer-You-Look-Like-Me-eln27n
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Healthcare professionals
Guidance for HCPs in England and Wales caring for surrogates and/or intended parents: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/having-a-child-through-surrogacy/care-in-surrogacy-guidance-for-the-care-of-surrogates-and-intended-parents-in-surrogate-births-in-england-and-wales
Very brief overview of some of the most common risks of fertility treatment:
https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/risks-of-fertility-treatment/
SurrogacyUK’s support package for professionals working in the surrogacy field: Resources for Professionals - SurrogacyUK. As part of this they have created a ‘Care in Surrogacy’ guide:
IJBPE-Care-in-Surrogacy-Guide-April-2023.pdf (surrogacyuk.org)
An article written by a midwife who went through the surrogacy process:
https://maternityandmidwifery.co.uk/understanding-surrogacy-for-midwifery-practice/
Disclaimer: White Ribbon Alliance UK and the Ethical Assisted Conception Hub (EACH) are not affiliated with any of the links nor organisations provided on this page. We have no control over the nature, content, and availability of the sites linked above. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.