Privacy Policy
Last updated: 8/13/25
At Shared Beginnings, your privacy is important to us. We are committed to protecting your personal information and maintaining transparency about how we collect, use, and safeguard the data you share with us—especially when it involves sensitive health-related decisions.
This Privacy Policy outlines how we handle personal information across our website and services.
1. Who We Are
Shared Beginnings is a fertility care organization offering donor egg and embryo programs. Our services are designed and delivered by medical professionals, and we are committed to providing care that is not only effective—but also safe, respectful, and confidential.
2. What This Policy Covers
This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect:
Through our website (www.sharedbeginnings.life)
When you schedule a consultation, apply to become a donor, or register for our embryo or egg donor databases
When you communicate with our team or interact with our services online
It does not apply to third-party websites or platforms that may be linked from our website (such as Egg Donor Connect or PatientFi). We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies separately.
3. Information We Collect
A. Information You Provide
Name, email, phone number, and mailing address
Date of birth or age
Medical or fertility-related history
Donor preferences or sperm source information
Payment or financing details (processed securely by third parties)
Application responses (if applying as an egg donor)
Communications via forms, chat tools, or emails
B. Information We Collect Automatically
IP address, browser type, device identifiers
Pages visited, click behavior, time spent on site
Site interactions via tools such as Google Analytics or Meta Pixel
Cookies and tracking technologies (see Section 10)
4. How We Use Your Information
We may use your personal information to:
Provide and personalize your care
Match you with appropriate donor programs
Schedule and manage consultations
Facilitate donor matching and embryo selection
Process payments or financing coordination
Respond to inquiries and provide support
Improve our services, user experience, and website performance
Send relevant updates, reminders, and optional marketing messages
Generate anonymized reports or metrics to improve our offerings
5. Health Information and HIPAA Compliance
Some information you provide may be considered Protected Health Information (PHI) under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). While Shared Beginnings is not a HIPAA-covered entity, our clinical partners are, and we voluntarily follow industry best practices for storing and sharing sensitive health data.
If required for care, and with your consent, we may securely share your PHI with clinics, labs, or mental health professionals as part of the coordination process.
6. How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information.
We may share information:
With trusted third-party service providers (e.g., Egg Donor Connect, Benchmark, PatientFi, CapexMD)
With licensed fertility clinics or partner providers for coordination of care
With payment processors and financial service partners
To comply with legal obligations (e.g., subpoenas, court orders)
To protect the safety, rights, or property of Shared Beginnings or others
As part of a business transaction (e.g., merger, asset sale)
As de-identified or aggregated data, for research or business insights
All partners and vendors are contractually obligated to safeguard your information.
7. Use of De-Identified or Aggregate Data
We may use or share aggregated, non-personally identifiable data (e.g., anonymized metrics about program usage or success rates) for research, analytics, or marketing purposes. This data cannot be used to identify you personally.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to:
Provide our services and fulfill program requirements
Comply with applicable laws or regulatory retention rules
Resolve disputes or enforce agreements
For example, donor-related records and some clinical coordination records may be retained for up to 7 years or longer, depending on jurisdiction and applicable clinical standards.
9. International Data Transfers
If you access our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to and stored on servers in the U.S. By using our website or submitting your information, you consent to this transfer. We take appropriate steps to protect international data in accordance with applicable laws.
10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
Improve website performance and usability
Track user engagement (e.g., via Google Analytics, Meta Pixel)
Enable personalized experiences and remarketing
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings.
Disabling cookies may affect certain site features or performance.
11. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights over your personal information.
You may:
Request access to or a copy of your personal information
Request corrections or updates
Request deletion (where legally permissible)
Opt out of marketing emails at any time via the unsubscribe link
Limit certain types of data use (e.g., health data for analytics)
Request a portable copy of your data (in select jurisdictions)
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: connect@sharedbeginnings.life
12. State-Specific Privacy Rights
Residents of certain U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and Washington—may have additional rights, including:
The right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal data
The right to limit use of sensitive personal data
The right to appeal denials of privacy requests
The right to designate an authorized agent to act on your behalf
To exercise any state-specific rights or request authorized agent instructions, please email: connect@sharedbeginnings.life
We do not discriminate against individuals for exercising their privacy rights.
13. Children’s Privacy
Our services are intended for individuals 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we’ve inadvertently collected data from a minor, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.
14. Data Security
We use appropriate physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your data. These include secure hosting, encryption protocols, and access controls.
However, no digital system can be guaranteed 100% secure. Please use caution when sharing information online.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Your continued use of our website constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.
16. Contact Us
For questions or concerns related to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact:
Shared Beginnings
10208 Cerny Street, Suite 301
Raleigh, NC 27617
Phone: (919) 248-1640
Email: connect@sharedbeginnings.life
