10 questions I wish researchers would explore
And our first DCJC survey!
I’ve spent the last eight years immersed in donor conception, from seriously exploring the option for myself to the multi-year process of becoming a parent and raising two little kids to leveraging my public health background for education, advocacy, and awareness-building. I’ve read hundreds of research articles and books and observed and engaged in conversations in numerous community forums. I already wrote about what makes research on donor conception challenging. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what would help me (and others) make more informed decisions. Here are the top ten questions (in no particular order) I wish researchers would tackle.
How do cultural conceptualizations of family—particularly distinctions between individualistic nuclear family models and collectivist kinship systems—shape donor-conceived identity and lived experience?
How do lived experiences differ between donor-conceived people with known/limited same-donor peer networks versus those with unknown numbers of half-siblings, and do these differences vary by cultural context?
What are families’ own definitions of “successful” disclosure (e.g., information shared, timing and frequency of discussions), what does disclosure look like for them, and how is disclosure experienced by their children?
How do donor-conceived people integrate donor conception into their identity across developmental stages, what factors influence whether it becomes central or peripheral, and how does this trajectory differ across cultural communities?
How do donor-conceived people’s family members—including non-donor-conceived siblings, cross-donor conceived siblings, parents, grandparents, and extended family—navigate and construct donor conception narratives within family systems?
How do donor-sibling relationships develop, evolve, and function across the lifespan?
What are the experiences of donor-conceived people navigating parenthood and disclosure with their own children, and what are the experiences of children with a donor-conceived parent?
How can donor conception disclosure and family communication be adapted for children with different cognitive, social-communication, or developmental profiles, and what supports do neurodivergent and disabled donor-conceived people identify as helpful?
What dominant narratives about donor conception exist in public discourse and professional literature, what assumptions about genetics, kinship, and family are embedded in research designs, and how do these narratives either serve or marginalize donor-conceived people?
How do romantic partners and co-parents engage with each other through donor conception-related discussions and decisions?
What do you wish researchers would ask?
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