Sperm donor relations among adult offspring conceived via insemination by lesbian parents

ABSTRACT

Aim

The present study examined how adult offspring of lesbian parents relate to their anonymous, open-identity, or known donors.

Design

An online survey of 75 donor-conceived offspring of lesbian parents, aged 30–33 years, participating in Wave 7 of a U.S. 36-year longitudinal study of planned lesbian-parent families was conducted. Offspring were asked about donor type, motivations for contacting the donor, terminology for the donor, relationship quality, means of relationship maintenance, impact of donor contact on offspring’s other family members, and their feelings about the donor.

Results

Twenty offspring with anonymous donors and 15 with open-identity donors whom they had not contacted felt comfortable not knowing their donors. Forty offspring knew their donors – anonymous, contacted through an online registry (n = 7), open-identity, contacted (n = 9), or known since childhood (n = 24). Offspring who had contacted their donor since age 18 had their motivations fulfilled after contact, got along well with him, did not view him as a relative, and had told most family members about their contact, without detriment. Whether the donor was unknown or known at this stage of their lives, most offspring were satisfied with their contact level.

Conclusion

This cohort of donor-conceived offspring of lesbian parents was among the first to reach adulthood during a time of technological advances in DNA testing, giving access to anonymous donors via online registries. The results inform donors, families, mental health providers, medical providers and public policymakers, on whether, how, and to what degree donor-conceived offspring optimally make donor contact.

KEYWORDS:

• Anonymous sperm donor
• DNA online registry
• donor insemination
• donor relationship
• lesbian parents
• open-identity sperm donor

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the participants and their families.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Attestation statement

Data regarding any of the subjects in the study have not been previously published. Data will be made available to the editors of the journal for review or query upon request.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.