At Manchester Fertility, we've always been committed to sharing meaningful stories, especially those involving the incredible journeys of individuals in assisted conception. Recently, we had the privilege of featuring on BBC Breakfast to discuss the new BBC documentary, My Sperm Donor and Me.
Our very own Jo Adams, the Manager of Andrology Services and our Donor Sperm Bank, joined journalist Tink Llewellyn on the BBC Breakfast sofa to discuss the documentary. It follows Tink on her journey since discovering she was donor-conceived at 17, featuring insights from other donor-conceived individuals and people who have donated.
In the documentary, Tink pays a unique visit to Manchester Fertility, receiving a first-hand clinic tour from Jo and Head of Laboratory, Helen Hunter. As a donor-conceived person, Tink's journey is particularly poignant as she observes embryo development in the laboratory and visits the cryobank, where donor eggs and sperm are preserved.
During the engaging interview with BBC Breakfast, presenters Charlie Stayt and Sarah Campbell, Jo and Tink provided compelling insights into the world of donor conception and emphasised the documentary's relevance due to upcoming changes to donor anonymity laws.
As of October, many donor-conceived individuals, conceived using donations from donors who registered after April 1, 2005, will turn 18 and can request identifiable information about their donor from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Details that can be accessed include the donor's full name, last known address and date and place of birth.
We want to extend our gratitude to Jo for providing valuable insight into the significant world of donor conception. As a long-established fertility clinic, we're dedicated to helping educate donor-conceived individuals, donors, and the wider community about the importance of donors in creating families and the significant changes we'll see from October.
If you’re interested in watching the documentary My Sperm Donor and Me you can catch it on BBC iPlayer.
Last updated: 7th November 2023
