Donor Assisted Conception

Donor-assisted conception is a way of creating a family using donated sperm, eggs, or embryos. Donors may be known or unknown to the recipients.

Only altruistic (unpaid) donation is permitted in Western Australia. It is legal to advertise for an altruistic donor, and reasonable expenses related to the donation can be reimbursed.

Counselling is required for all donors and recipients to support informed and effective consent. Known donors must receive counselling both separately and together with the recipients before consent is finalised.

There is a three‑month cooling‑off period before donated gametes or embryos can be used. In exceptional circumstances, this period may be waived by applying to the Reproductive Technology Council (the Council).

In Western Australia, a donor can contribute to the creation of a maximum of five families through donation (excluding their own). There is no limit on the number of children who may be conceived within those families. In exceptional circumstances, the Council may consider a request to waive the five‑family limit.

Non-identifying and identifying information about donors and recipient cycles are sent to the Department of Health Reproductive Technology Treatment Registers.

Information and support for donor related people in WA

A person conceived with the assistance of a donor, from 2004 onwards, has the right to access identifying information about their donor once they have reached 16 years of age.

Donors may access identifying information where there is consent from all parties.

The Donor Conception Information Service (DCIS) is designed to support and provide information to people who are donor conceived or participants in donor conception through a licenced fertility clinic in Western Australia.

Other websites of interest

Other websites that contain useful information on donor conception are listed below. Some websites include registers for donor linkage if your treatment was in another state or country.

Donor Conceived Australia (external website)

Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (external website)

New Zealand Government – fertility issues and assisted reproduction (external site)

NSW Government-Assisted reproductive technology – Central Registers (external website)

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, United Kingdom (external website)

Reciprocal IVF

Reciprocal IVF (also known as egg sharing) refers to an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) practice in same sex female couples where both parents can be involved in the conception of the baby. One partner carries the pregnancy and the other provides the egg, which is fertilised with donor sperm.

The transfer of an embryo formed with a partner’s egg, in female same-sex relationships is not usually permitted in Western Australia unless the partner who will carry the pregnancy (in the case of de facto relationships) or the couple (in the case of married couples) meets the IVF access criteria in the Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991.

It is best to seek advice from your clinician about your medical eligibility for IVF.

The Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy (ARTS) Bill 2025 passed the Western Australian Parliament on 3 December 2025. We now enter an approximate 18-month implementation period and the ARTS Act 2025 will commence in mid-2027.

Until the new ARTS legislation comes into effect, access to IVF, reproductive technology and surrogacy is still regulated by the Human Reproductive Technology Act 1991 and the Surrogacy Act 2008.

The new legislation will be more equitable by expanding access to fertility treatment regardless of sex, relationship status, gender identity, sex characteristics or orientation. Information can be found at New assisted reproductive technology and surrogacy Act for Western Australia from mid-2027