O-273 The experience of donor conceived people accessing donor identity

Topic avoidance and family functioning in families conceived with donor insemination

Paul MS et al., 2007 · Human reproduction (Oxford, England)

While a move away from non-disclosure and secrecy toward more openness is demonstrated in the changing practices of donor insemination worldwide, scholars and practitioners continue to debate the effects of disclosure versus secrecy. This study examines if an association exists between adult donor offspring's perceptions of their parents' use of topic avoidance to maintain secrecy, and their perceptions of their family's functioning. Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 69 young adult donor offspring completed a demographic questionnaire, a topic avoidance scale relative to each of their rearing parents, and the Beavers Self Report Family Instrument. There was a moderate significant inverse correlation between family functioning and topic avoidance in general, as well as for donor insemination-related topics, for both mothers (r = -0.55, r = -0.40, respectively, P <or= 0.01) and fathers (r = -0.53, r = -0.50, respectively, P <or= 0.01), even after controlling for demographic variables. Disclosure by both parents jointly was associated with higher family functioning than disclosure under other circumstances. While this study is limited by the convenience sampling, the correlational design and measuring offspring's subjective perceptions, findings suggest that the information about donor conception should not be held secret from offspring and that the parents should disclose jointly.

Donor insemination: a comparison of lesbian couples, heterosexual couples and single women

Wendland CL et al., 1996 · Fertil Steril ·

To compare single women, lesbian couples, and heterosexual couples receiving therapeutic donor insemination (TDI). Chart review followed by anonymous mail questionnaires to donor insemination recipients and their partners. Infertility clinic in a university hospital. One hundred fifteen women receiving donor insemination were identified by chart review. Too few single women responded for reliable comparison. Lesbian women were similar to married women in age, education, duration, and outcome of donor insemination. When considering alternatives to TDI, married women were more likely to consider adoption and lesbians were most likely to consider using a known semen donor or having intercourse with a man aware of their desire to have a child. Married couples were less likely to tell others, including the child, about conception by donor insemination. They were also less likely to support disclosing identifying data about the donor to the child. Lesbians were more likely to report stress in their relationships as a result of TDI. Married men were most likely to support mandatory counseling before TDI initiation.

O-272 Telling and talking about donor conception within the families: How can professionals help?

Indekeu A, 2025 · Human Reproduction

Abstract The general point of view on disclosure of the donor conception to the offspring experienced a major change over the years. From the outset, non-disclosure was imposed by medical professionals. Decades of debates followed, discussing if disclosure or non-disclosure would be in the best interest of the donor-conceived person, before the recommendation to disclose the donor conception to the offspring was integrated in professional guidelines such as those of ASRM (2013) and ESHRE (2024). This change in view was supported by research findings showing that late disclosure (and often discovery) has a negative impact on the wellbeing of donor-conceived people, that early disclosure is not burdensome for donor-conceived children (moreover, it is preferred by donor-conceived people), and that early disclosure is associated with better well-being of donor-conceived people during adolescence. Moreover, societal changes, such as the technological development of direct-to-consumer-genetic testing, have made non-disclosure impossible. Lastly, the framing of disclosure as a question concerning ‘the best interest’ of donor-conceived people has been replaced by a framework that information about one’s origin concerns a fundamental human right. Not only did the recommendation regarding disclosure/non-disclosure changed, also the knowledge about disclosure increased. While initially disclosure was often approached as a dichotomous act, research findings showed that disclosure occurs much more in layers. Moreover, disclosure is not a one-off activity, but (as preferred by donor-conceived people themselves) an ongoing conversation over the family-life course, that continues when the child grows up. Besides, disclosure is not a unilateral process in which only parents take up an active role, but it is an interactive process in which parent and child co-create their family-story. Lastly, disclosure does not only concern the origins of the child, but it is also a family-building story, in which parents formed their family in a different way they initially imagined. In relation to the actual disclosure process, studies have shown that parental confidence is generally associated with disclosure and a lack of confidence (including uncertainty around the language to use, the best way and time to disclose, and finding the information difficult to share) is associated with non-disclosure. A recent literature review showed that many participants across studies reported feelings of being unprepared, isolation and anxiety around the disclosure decision and process, and express a desire for support. Parents would like to hear experiences from other parents and to have access to resources, such as storybooks and movies, and networking opportunities for the donor-conceived people as they might enhance feeling comfortable with the disclosure process. However, support and advice were not always provided. This presentation reviews the latest existing empirical data regarding the disclosure-process (factors that might influence the process, outcomes, experiences of parents and donor-conceived people) and will especially address how, psychosocial as well as medical, professionals can support families in their ongoing conversation about their family-building, pre-, during and post-treatment. Furthermore, challenges and limitations of offering ongoing support will be discussed as well, based on an inquiry conducted in 10 jurisdictions.

'I don't know what normal has been': a grounded theory exploration of the journey to endometriosis diagnosis

Karavadra B et al., 2025 · BMC women's health ·