Fairfax Cryobank Privacy Policy

Fairfax Cryobank is committed to protecting the identities of our clients and donors. We have and will continue to honor the contracts we have agreed to with our donors. If they are anonymous donors, we will keep their identity private from all parties who wish access to that information. Our ID Options donors have agreed to a limited release of information which will not occur until a child registered with us as his offspring reaches the age of 18.

Anonymous Donors

Anonymous donors will always remain anonymous. They will never become ID Options donors (see below).

Fairfax Cryobank's Privacy Policy protects the confidentiality of all parties involved and specifies that the anonymous donor program at the current time is "closed," which dictates that the donor's and recipient's identities remain anonymous.  All donor and recipient records will be maintained indefinitely and we will not compromise the anonymity between the donor and the recipient. We do not facilitate contact between anonymous donors and their offspring.

In certain medically necessary circumstances, we will, upon physician request, attempt to obtain specific additional donor medical or genetic information and testing. Donor identity in these circumstances will remain anonymous.

Identity (ID) Option Donors

Certain new donors have consented to be ID Option donors. These donors agree to a limited release of identifying information when registered offspring from their donated sperm reach 18 years of age. Children must be registered with Fairfax Cryobank by their parents as offspring of an ID Option donor.  Parents can also opt not to register at birth and wait to see what their family situtation dictates. Regardless of the intent to register a child or not, the ID Option consent must be signed and returned before units will be released.

ID Option donors can therefore be used as an anonymous donor if the parent has decided not to register their child for the program.

Contact with Donors

Fairfax Cryobank staff is instructed to return calls and emails from all donors.  We recognize the importance of our relationships with our donors.  If a donor is attempting contact and not receiving a call back or email they should speak to Client Services who will direct them to the correct person.

We encourage all past donors to contact us and update their medical and personal information which will then be shared with clients as appropriate.  This will also allow us to confirm their identification, verify that their contact information is up to date, and clarify any medical issues via our Medical Director, a board certified Clinical Geneticist.

Donor Information: Medical and Personal Profiles

The plethora of information that is now available on all donors was not available in the past.  Currently there are vast amounts of non-identifying information on all donors including Identity Options (ID) donors.  In fact anonymous and ID donors have all of the same medical and personal information available, the only difference is that when an ID Option donor is used there is the option for the offspring to contact the donor when they reach the age of 18. 

Annual Updates from Donors

We have a program that reaches out to past donors and allows them to easily update medical and personal information confidentially.  Donors who wish to update their information can contact Client Services and they will be directed to the laboratory staff that will assist them in this process.  We publish relevant updated information on the donor’s summary profile. 

Check Donor Medical Status

We believe that the best way for clients to gather medical and personal information about their donors is at the source, from the Cryobank itself.  We have instituted the Check Donor Medical Status as a way for clients to easily verify that there is no medical update that would lead to an increased risk for them or their offspring.  This also allows us to give an immediate and accurate notification if any medical issue does arise.

Fairfax Cryobank Family Forums

Fairfax now has the Fairfax Cryobank Family Forums.  These wonderful forums are a popular way for clients to connect and share their experiences.  The Cryobank has set up the site and works to provide up to date information therefore, we believe this is the best source for clients to connect. 

Donor Numbers

As of January 1 2012, new donors are given the option of knowing their donor number.

Request to Release Identifying Information

We understand and respect the desire of many women, couples, and donor insemination (DI) offspring to know more about their donor.  However, it is important to acknowledge that there are also many women, couples, offspring, and families that do not want identifying information released as originally agreed.  It would not be ethical for us to compromise the agreements we made with all of the people involved from the donor to the recipient. 

We believe  it is the responsibility of the Cryobank to continue to gather updated non identifying medical and personal information from donors for as long as possible and to share that information with our clients.  We do this in a way that maintains the integrity of our original agreements and contracts. 

We have provided high quality donor sperm for more than 20 years that has led to the creation and growth of happy families.  We have continued to expand and update our portfolio of information on donors to address the growing needs of families that have resulted from the use of donor sperm.  It is for this reason that we work to update profiles and allow families to connect through forums. 

We respect and will uphold the agreements and contracts that were in place when a donor donated at the Cryobank.   There is always more than just one way to look at a situation and, we believe, we must respect and uphold the original agreements and contracts.  It is important to note that there are donors who chose to donate anonymously and families who chose an anonymous donor because of the anonymity.  It would be impossible to have all parties involved reach an unequivocal consensus to release identifying information, and therefore we honor the agreements in place.