In April 2010, we're launching a new service to enable contact between people who share the same sperm, egg or embryo donor.
This will be called Donor Sibling Link and initial pre-launch information about what it does and who it is for can be found on our website at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/donor-sibling-link.html
Donor Sibling Link will be only available to those born as a result of donor-conception treatment in a HFEA licensed clinic after August 1991; who have reached the age of 18 and who wish to share their contact details with their donor-conceived siblings.
People will need to prove their identity and consent to the sharing of contact information between those who have the same donor – people can specify their preferred method of contact but the HFEA will not collect or pass on any personal messages. Only donor-conceived siblings can share their contact details – no other people, including their family members or their donors own children, will be able to have this information from the HFEA.
If people no longer want to make their details available they can opt out anytime they wish. This service is part of a wider role the HFEA has of providing different levels of information to donors, donor-conceived people and their parents.
We anticipate that most people before joining the DSL will have already submitted a request to the HFEA to find out anonymised information regarding the number, gender and years of birth of their donor-conceived siblings.

Next steps
The page will develop over time - for instance, we will add later that those joining will be informed about opportunities for counselling. We've introduced this webpage now so in good time it begins to be indexed by Google in preparation for people who might start searching the web when they hear about it later.

If you have any suggestions or comments, including links to other sites you think might be helpful, then please let me know.
Alan Tipping
Stakeholder Relations Manager
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority
21 Bloomsbury Street, London, WC1B 3HF
Direct Line: 020 7291 8233
Mobile: 0776 676 3091
Fax: 0207 291 8201
Email: alan.tipping@hfea.gov.uk
Website: www.hfea.gov.uk