In one of the first studies comparing the feelings of donor-conceived children and adults, researchers from the Cambridge University have found that disclosure of donor paternity at an early age lowers the likelihood of negative reactions from the offspring. The study findings published in the recent issue of Human Reproduction provides new perspectives regarding the response of the offspring depending on the age at which their biological origin is disclosed.
Donor conception, one of the oldest approaches in infertility treatment, is commonly used to treat heterosexual couples, lesbian couples, and single women wanting to conceive. Despite the widespread use of donor conception, the majority of children and adults conceived through this procedure are unaware of their genetic origin, owing to the traditional practice of secrecy. However, an increasing trend towards openness has encouraged researchers to explore the impact of disclosure on the offspring.
Vasanti Jadva, from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues conducted the new study which evaluated the difference in responses of children and adults, when informed about their genetic origin. The scientists analyzed the data obtained from anonymously completed online questionnaires by 165 members aged between 13 and 61 years, of the Donor Sibling Registry (a US-based worldwide registry). The feelings of the offspring towards their parents and about being conceived using a donor’s sperm were noted.
The study results showed that, compared to offspring of heterosexual couples, those of lesbian couples and single mothers received information about their donor conception at an earlier age. It was also noted that the mean age of disclosure was 14 years (reaching a maximum of 50 years), with 19% of the offspring knowing about their paternity after the age of 18 years and 30% before 3 years of age. Also, 38% of the offspring did not recall the exact age of disclosure since they were too young to remember.
A higher incidence of negative feelings was reported among individuals who received information about their origin in adulthood compared to those who were informed about it during childhood or adolescence. The offspring of heterosexual couples had a higher probability of feeling angry at their mother rather than the father, for lying. It was also noted that sympathy was the most common feeling of the offspring towards their father.
In an earlier research, Lycett, et al. (Fertility and Sterility, 2004) evaluated the impact of donor insemination and its disclosure on the quality of family relationships and children’s socioemotional adjustments in the families. The study, involving 46 families with a donor-conceived child aged between 4 and 8 years, examined the data obtained through interviews and questionnaires from parents, teachers, and children. The scientists found that the children who were informed about their genetic origin were significantly less argumentative with fewer conduct problems, compared to those from the non-disclosing families. The results also suggested that the parent-child relationship in the disclosing families were more positive compared to the non-disclosure group. Although the findings did not indicate dysfunctional relationships in the non-disclosing families, it illustrated the benefits of revealing the parental genetic identity.
The issue of divulging the nature of conception (using gamete or embryo donation or surrogacy) to children has been extensively debated over the years. With the growing concern about the probable adverse effects of maintaining secrecy, such as alteration in the family relationships or the psychological well-being of the offspring, there is a change in international practices towards encouraging disclosure.
In accordance with this trend, the Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), which recommended anonymous sperm donation in 1993, amended its guidelines in 2004 to support disclosure of the use of donor gametes to offspring. Similarly, in the UK, the legislation now discourages the practice of anonymous donation by providing the right to information about donor identity to the offspring (for those conceived after April 2005) upon reaching 18 years of age.
The current study, reporting a higher incidence of negative responses from offspring informed about their donor paternity in adulthood than during childhood or adolescence, suggests that parents using assisted reproduction should reveal the nature of conception to their children at an early age. However, further studies are necessary to accurately assess the psychological consequences of such disclosure.
References
1. Jadva V, Freeman T, Kramer W. The experiences of adolescents and adults conceived by sperm donation: comparisons by age of disclosure and family type. Hum Reprod. 2009; doi:10.1093/humrep/dep110.
2. Lycett E, Daniels K, Curson R, Golombok S. Offspring created as a result of donor insemination: a study of family relationships, child adjustment, and disclosure. Fertil Steril. 2004 Jul;82(1):172-9.
3. MacCallum F, Golombok S. Embryo donation families: mothers’ decisions regarding disclosure of donor conception. Hum Reprod. 2007 Nov;22(11):2888-95.
