Donor Conception Terminology

Conception using donated sperm, eggs, or embryos.

An individual conceived using donated gametes or embryos.

A person who provides sperm for use in assisted reproduction.

A person who provides eggs for assisted reproduction.

Transfer of an embryo created by one individual or couple to another for pregnancy.

Conception using both donor sperm and donor eggs.

A donor who is personally known to the recipient prior to conception.

A donor whose identity is not disclosed to recipient parents or offspring at the time of treatment (subject to legal and technological limitations).

A donor who consents to the future release of identifying information to donor-conceived offspring.

Individual(s) who initiate or consent to assisted reproduction with the intention of becoming the legal and social parent(s) of a resulting child.

Individual(s) who receive donor gametes or embryos in order to conceive and raise a child.

An individual who shares a donor as a genetic parent.

A discovery that a presumed biological father is not genetically related to the individual.

A broader term describing discrepancies between assumed and biological parentage.

An individual who learns in adolescence or adulthood about being donor-conceived.

Risk of unintended relationships between genetically related individuals due to shared donor origin.

A regulatory framework in which donor identities may be disclosed once offspring reach a specified age.