"Searching for donor relationships: The experiences of door conception offspring, parents and donors"

http://donorsiblingregistry.com/CambridgePoster.pdf

News update by Wendy Kramer from the Donor Sibling Registry:
(http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DonorSiblingRegistry/message/13088)

A link to the full paper, published by Reproductive Biomedicine Online, will be posted to the "Research" page of the DSR within the next few days.

Experiences of offspring searching for and contacting their donor siblings and donor
Vasanti Jadva a,*, Tabitha Freeman a, Wendy Kramer b, Susan Golombok, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RF, UK; b Donor Sibling
Registry, PO Box 1571, Nederland, CO 80466, USA

Abstract:

This study investigates a new phenomenon whereby individuals conceived by donor insemination are searching for and
contacting their donor and/or `donor siblings' (i.e. donor offspring conceived by the same donor who are their genetic half siblings).
On-line questionnaires were completed by members of the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR), a US-based registry that facilitates contact
between donor conception families who share the same donor. Of the 165 donor offspring who completed the survey, 15% were
searching for their donor siblings, 13% were searching for their donor, and 64% were searching for both. Differences were found
according to family type and age of disclosure. Fewer offspring from heterosexual couple families had told their father about their
search when compared with offspring from lesbian couple families who had told their co-parent. Offspring who had found out about
their conception after age 18 were more likely to be searching for medical reasons, whereas those who had found out before age 18
tended to be searching out of curiosity. Some offspring had discovered large numbers of half siblings (maximum = 13). The majority of offspring who had found their donor relations reported positive experiences and remained in regular contact with them. RBMOnline
ª 2010, Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.