Donor-Conceived Children and Adults Archives - Donor Conception and Beyond

Parenting a Donor-Conceived Child – 8 Things I’ve Learned

Posted on January 12, 2021March 28, 2022 by Gail

When my daughter was seven years old, she looked me straight in the eye, tilted her head just a little to the right so I knew something big was coming, and said, “I would never use a donor, Mum”. Now Lola* is a pretty sensitive kind of kid, so I knew she’d given this statement […]

Please, Tell Your Children They Are Donor-Conceived

Posted on April 24, 2019September 22, 2020 by Gail

“Now that I think back,” says Cassandra, “my mother did have a sick look on her face when I spat into that tube.” Cassandra was always interested in genealogy and family history, but doing a DNA test was too expensive. One day she discovered that genealogy company, 23andMe, were offering a free test to people […]

Should You Choose a Donor Who Looks Like You?

Posted on November 29, 2018June 3, 2021 by Gail

* Note: all names have been changed to protect the individuals’ privacy. Back in the ’70s when feminists were dissing pinafores and donning protest banners, and donor sperm was for ‘Mr. and Mrs.’ couples only, physicians selected the sperm donors (which, in many cases, included their benevolent selves) on behalf of their customers. And as […]

9 Things You Should Never Say to Donor-Conceived People, and Why

Posted on August 21, 2018June 6, 2019 by Gail

“Maybe instead of asking how our parents are feeling about us looking for our donors, I would probably prefer being asked, “How am I feeling about looking for my donor? Because, really, it’s not about my parents.” Chloe Allworthy is an Australian donor-conceived adult who has known about her genetic origins since she was 7 […]

Are Donor-Conceived Children at Risk of Incest?

Posted on August 3, 2018November 29, 2018 by Gail

Depending on the type of donor you choose, your donor-conceived children may be at risk of incest. Consider the following scenario… A woman walks into a bar. She sees an attractive person at the other end of the bar; admires the lush, chocolate brown hair (just like hers), gets lost in the deep emerald […]