Privacy Policy
For years, CLI has acknowledged the many concerns associated with confidentiality and privacy issues related to utilizing anonymous donor sperm. Our experiences in this complex issue have led us to a strict policy of confidentiality and privacy in the relationship between the anonymous semen donor, the biological mother and the parenting spouse. At the same time, we are sensitive to the genuine desires of the adult child to retrieve knowledge concerning his/her biological legacy. Our Privacy Policy protects the confidentiality of all parties involved in donor insemination. It is CLI's Privacy Policy that:
Contact with Donors Cryogenic Laboratories, Inc staff is instructed to return calls and emails from all donors. We recognize the importance of our relationships with our donors. If a donor is attempting contact and not receiving a call back or email they should speak to Client Services who will direct them to the correct person. We encourage all past donors to contact us and update their medical and personal information which will then be shared with clients as appropriate. This will also allow us to confirm their identification, verify that their contact information is up to date, and clarify any medical issues via our Medical Director, a board certified Clinical Geneticist. Donor Information: Medical and Personal Profiles The plethora of information that is now available on all donors was not available in the past. Currently there are vast amounts of non-identifying information on all donors including Identity Options (ID) donors. In fact anonymous and ID donors have all of the same medical and personal information available, the only difference is that when an ID Option donor is used there is the option for the offspring to contact the donor when they reach the age of 18.
Annual Updates from Donors We have a program that reaches out to past donors and allows them to easily update medical and personal information confidentially. Donors who wish to update their information can contact Client Services and they will be directed to the laboratory staff that will assist them in this process. We publish relevant updated information on the donor’s summary profile.
CLI Family Forums CLI now has the CLI Family Forums. These wonderful forums are a popular way for clients to connect and share their experiences. The Cryobank has set up the site and works to provide up to date information therefore, we believe this is the best source for clients to connect.
Donor Numbers As of January 1 2012, new donors are given the option of knowing their donor number. Clients purchasing donor sperm from donors who entered the program prior to January 1, 2012 purchased with the understanding that donors did not have access to their donor numbers and accordlingly old donor numbers are not released. It is important to consider and respect each donor and all recipients who use donor sperm.
Request to Release Identifying Information We understand and respect the desire of many women, couples, and donor insemination (DI) offspring to know more about their donor. However, it is important to acknowledge that there are also many women, couples, offspring, and families that do not want identifying information released as originally agreed. It would not be ethical for us to compromise the agreements we made with all of the people involved from the donor to the recipient. We believe it is the responsibility of the Cryobank to continue to gather updated non identifying medical and personal information from donors for as long as possible and to share that information with our clients. We do this in a way that maintains the integrity of our original agreements and contracts. We have provided high quality donor sperm for more than 20 years that has led to the creation and growth of happy families. We have continued to expand and update our portfolio of information on donors to address the growing needs of families that have resulted from the use of donor sperm. It is for this reason that we work to update profiles and allow families to connect through forums. We respect and will uphold the agreements and contracts that were in place when a donor donated at the Cryobank. There is always more than just one way to look at a situation and, we believe, we must respect and uphold the original agreements and contracts. It is important to note that there are donors who chose to donate anonymously and families who chose an anonymous donor because of the anonymity. It would be impossible to have all parties involved reach an unequivocal consensus to release identifying information, and therefore we honor the agreements in place. |
|