I am looking for a donor

Once the decision to use donor gametes has been made, the next decision is which donor. In India that conversation happens within the framework of registered ART banks, anonymous donation, and a specific set of information that you do and do not receive. Here is how to navigate it well.

What information you typically receive

Under the ART Act 2021 framework, donor identity is protected. What recipients do receive: age range, blood type and Rh, basic physical traits (height, complexion, hair colour, eye colour), broad health screening status, sometimes education level and occupation category, and ICMR-mandated genetic and infectious-disease screening results. Identifying details are withheld.

What screening looks like

Registered ART banks screen donors for HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, blood group, thalassemia, and a panel of inherited conditions. Psychological screening varies by clinic. Some clinics offer expanded carrier screening on donors. Ask which screens are included in the headline price.

How to decide between candidates

Most recipients prioritise medical compatibility (matched blood type or Rh-compatible, no shared inherited conditions with the partner) and broad physical resemblance to the non-donating partner where it matters to the family. Beyond that, choices about education, hobbies, or backstory are personal. There is no objectively right answer.

The conversation about disclosure

Will you tell your child? When and how? Will you tell your families? These questions sit alongside the donor selection but are not solved by it. Most fertility counsellors recommend deciding deliberately, and many recommend early honest disclosure to children, framed naturally as part of how the family was formed. There is no single right path – just the path you have chosen rather than defaulted to.

Questions worth asking your doctor

• What information about the donor will we receive, and what will we not?
• What screening is included, and is expanded carrier screening available?
• How are donors selected and matched – on what criteria?
• Is counselling about disclosure available before we proceed?

This essay is educational. Every patient’s situation is different – the right plan is shaped in conversation with a fertility specialist who knows the full picture.