WHERE DO I COME FROM?
Who's my biological father or mother? For thousands of Canadians conceived from donated sperm or egg, donor information is secret as physicians and fertility clinics treat donor identity as confidential. Though many egg donors do agree to be known, the vast majority of sperm donors do not; thus denying to a group of people conceived through means of assisted human reproduction their full medical and genetic history and an important part of their personal identity too.

A law to address this and other issues was slow in coming. After 15 years of lobbying, government committee hearings, and much debate, Bill C-6, An Act Respecting Assisted Human Reproduction and Related Research, (AHR Act) became law in 2004. Among other things, the act created a national registry of donor records under the management of a Health Canada agency as a solution to the practice of leaving record maintenance to physicians and fertility clinics. The legislation however, neglected to ensure protection for donor records that were in existence prior to establishment of the AHR Act. Consequently these records were under threat of destruction leading into the filing of this lawsuit

Unfortunately, on June 19, 2008, Quebec's Court of Appeal found various sections of the AHR Act to be unconstitutional because they impinged on provincial jurisdiction in health care. This decision has national implications because the legality of the registry is now in doubt. Furthermore, given the threat that physicians and fertility clinics will destroy donor records in accordance with current standards of practice, the health interests of thousands of Canadians are seriously compromised.

We need your help in our struggle to prevent these records from being destroyed and ensuring that in future, children born via gamete donation (sperm or egg) do have access to donor records.