Goedeke, SonjaGamble, Heather2024-05-012024-05-012024-04-25Hum Fertil (Camb), ISSN: 1464-7273 (Print); 1742-8149 (Online), Informa UK Limited, 27(1), 2343718-. doi: 10.1080/14647273.2024.23437181464-72731742-8149http://hdl.handle.net/10292/17499Donor-linking where those genetically related through donor conception (e.g. donor-conceived persons (DCP), donors and siblings), or recipient parents, search for and connect with each other, is increasingly common, both in identity-release jurisdictions where donors' identifying information may be released to DCP, usually when they become adults - and in anonymous jurisdictions, e.g. as a result of direct-to-consumer DNA testing. In this paper, we explore New Zealand fertility clinic counsellors' views regarding their donor-linking roles and their concerns and needs in relation to current and anticipated service provision. Counsellors believed that fertility service providers had a longer-term responsibility to offer donor-linking services to ensure the wellbeing of all parties affected by donor conception. They perceived their role as complex and multifaceted, encompassing psychoeducation, mediation, advocacy, facilitation, relationship counselling, and therapeutic intervention. They identified significant service provision challenges however, including inadequate staffing, training, time and prioritisation of donor-linking, and inadequate legislative provisions to support practice. Counsellors called for clarity in legislation addressing different contexts of donation and providing measures to ensure the recording of and access to identifying information. They expressed a need for comprehensive, funded donor-linking services, therefore facilitating choice, and services staffed by professionally trained and supported staff.© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/Donor-linkingclinical practiceconcernscounsellingneeds3215 Reproductive Medicine32 Biomedical and Clinical Sciences7.1 Individual care needs7 Management of diseases and conditions1103 Clinical Sciences1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive MedicineObstetrics & Reproductive Medicine3215 Reproductive medicineHumansNew ZealandFemaleCounselingTissue DonorsAdultDonor ConceptionMaleHumansNew ZealandFemaleCounselingTissue DonorsAdultDonor ConceptionMaleJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1080/14647273.2024.2343718