The Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000 to assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg, or embryo donation who are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they (or their children) share genetic ties.
The DSR has more than 75,000 members worldwide and has facilitated thousands of connections between donors, donor-conceived individuals, genetic siblings, and intended/recipient parents (on behalf of their children).
At Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions, we educate intended parents (IPs) and egg donors about the importance of future contact and how the DSR can help facilitate this contact while still allowing both parties to keep their personal identity private if that is their desire.
We strongly encourage IPs to have the DSR included in their direct donor agreement, so they have a way to reach out to the donor for medical updates and questions or in the event their child(ren) wants to connect with the donor at some point. “More and more, we are hearing from IPs that they want their children to have the option to contact the donor in the future, and most donors are open to having contact,” says Executive Director Katy Encalade.
“As an agency, we are committed to caring and advocating for everyone involved in the egg donation triad – IPs, donors, and the donor-conceived people who are born through this process.” Below we outline three benefits of DSR. Access to current medical information The medical information IPs receive about their donor is a snapshot of her family medical history at that point in time. Given that egg donors are in their 20s to early 30s, it’s likely their personal and family health information will change over time.
The DSR includes a section for medical information where donors can post updates. In addition, parents can post health information about their children (as applicable) to be shared with donors and genetic half-siblings.
Connections with genetic siblings Per the guidelines recommended by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, egg donors can complete up to six donation cycles. Therefore, the probability of genetic half-siblings exists for many individuals born through egg donation.
Through the DSR, you have the potential to match with other parents with whom you share the same donor so that you can know where they are located and connect with the families of your child’s genetic half-siblings. Easing the burden on your child Many donor-conceived individuals express a desire to know more about their genetic ancestry and some want to connect with their genetic relatives.
By establishing a way to have contact with the donor and genetic siblings through the DSR, you can help ease the burden on your child so he or she does not have to pursue these connections on their own in the future. Signing up for the DSR If you choose to register with the DSR, your Care Coordinator will guide you through the process of having the DSR included in the legal agreement, which will require the donor to keep her information current with the site.
Your coordinator will also work with your donor to ensure she completes the steps necessary to register with DSR. Maintaining your privacy With the DSR, you maintain full control of your personal identity and the information you choose to share. All DSR users have a unique username, and communication is managed through the platform.
You will be notified about new matches via email and when someone sends you a message through the platform. Your personal contact information will not be shared unless you choose to share it. For more information, visit www.donorsiblingregistry.com or reach out to your Care Coordinator.
Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions is an agency that specializes in assisting intended parents (IPs) and egg donors throughout the process of egg donation. They emphasize the importance of future contact between donors and IPs, and they work in collaboration with the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) to facilitate connections between individuals who share genetic ties.
The Donor Sibling Registry (DSR) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2000. It aims to assist individuals who were conceived through sperm, egg, or embryo donation in making contact with others who share their genetic background, including donors, donor-conceived individuals, genetic siblings, and intended or recipient parents. The DSR has a global membership of over 75,000 individuals and has successfully facilitated numerous connections between these parties.
Our team educates IPs and egg donors about the importance of future contact and the role of the DSR in facilitating such contact. They encourage IPs to include the DSR in their direct donor agreements, allowing them to reach out to the donor for medical updates, questions, or potential connections between the donor and their child in the future.
There are several benefits associated with utilizing the DSR:
- Access to current medical information: The medical information provided by egg donors represents a snapshot of their family medical history at the time of donation. As this information can change over time, the DSR provides a section where donors can post updates. Parents can also share health information about their children to be communicated with the donors and genetic half-siblings.
- Connections with genetic siblings: Egg donors can undergo up to six donation cycles, increasing the likelihood of genetic half-siblings for donor-conceived individuals. By using the DSR, parents can connect with other families who share the same donor, allowing them to locate and connect with their child’s genetic half-siblings.
- Easing the burden on your child: Many donor-conceived individuals express a desire to learn more about their genetic ancestry and connect with genetic relatives. By establishing contact with the donor and genetic siblings through the DSR, parents can help alleviate the burden on their child by facilitating these connections.
To sign up for the DSR, our Care Coordinators will guide IPs through the process of including the DSR in the legal agreement. This requires the donor to keep her information current on the site. We will work with the donor to ensure that she completes the necessary steps to register with the DSR.
Privacy is maintained when using the DSR. Each user has a unique username, and communication takes place within the platform. Notifications about new matches and messages are sent via email, but personal contact information is not shared unless specifically chosen to be shared.
For more information about the DSR, you can visit their website at www.donorsiblingregistry.com or reach out to your EDS Care Coordinator.
Overall, Egg Donor & Surrogate Solutions is committed to caring for and advocating for all parties involved in the egg donation process, including intended parents, egg donors, and donor-conceived individuals.
Listen to an episode of our podcast where we interview recipient mom, Laura.
We help Intended Parents Create Happy Families via Egg Donation & Surrogacy with the help of caring Egg Donors & Surrogates.
Donor sibling registry, egg donation process, Egg Donor Solutions, Intended Parents, Why use an agency?, Intended Parent Resources, Intended Parent Webinar, Getting started, Why our agency?, Selecting your donor. Tune in to our podcast
