DC Journal Club - July Round Up
Call for reviewers, recent fiction reads, and opportunity to participate in research
Please let me know if you have any feedback for the newsletter or topics you’d like me to explore. You can email [laura at dcjournalclub dot com] or message on Substack or Instagram (@dcjournalclub).
Every July, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) holds its annual meeting, one of the largest gatherings of fertility researchers, clinicians, and industry in the world. I culled through this year’s program to see what folks are studying about donor conception. The highlights from the 17 posters and abstracts I found include research on how genetic screening is expanding (with nearly 77% of sperm donors now testing as carriers on the largest panels), how fertility fraud affects identity and kinship in ways the field hasn't fully recognized, and how parents of donors feel like "disposable" family members with no socially recognized role.
Research Recap
Zadeh et al. (2026) surveyed 41 UK donor-conceived young adults (mostly white, from heterosexual two-parent families) about disclosing their donor conception to others and current mental wellbeing. Most learned from their parents, and they learned in early childhood (44%), middle childhood/adolescence (27%), or as adults (29%). All had told at least one friend. Many also told partners (68%), family (66%), or other donor-conceived people (63%). The study found that concealing or selectively disclosing donor conception status was linked to worse wellbeing. Those told in early childhood reported less concealment than those told between ages 8-17.
Bognár et al. (2026) interviewed 21 Hungarian single mothers by choice (ages 35-53) who became mothers through donor gametes or embryos between 2010-2025. All had a strong desire for children but hadn't found suitable partners; ART was a fallback plan. Most strongly valued conceiving with their own eggs. Those using donor eggs or embryos emphasized pregnancy and birth as biological connection. Most preferred identity-release donors but only anonymous donors are legal in Hungary. Most held neutral or grateful attitudes toward donors. Few tried to identify them, wishing to leave that choice to their children as adults. Most searched for donor-conceived half siblings through Facebook groups and international registries, motivated by curiosity and wanting to build extended family networks for their children.
Ström (2026) interviewed 16 Swedish single mothers (ages 40-47) who became mothers through donor insemination since 2016. Mothers reported gratitude for donors but didn't think of them as family members or fathers. They preferred the word "donor" to avoid suggesting a parental relationship. Fifteen of sixteen mothers told their children about donor conception, usually starting in infancy to make the story feel normal. Most used children's books about donor conception as a simple, repeatable way to bring up the topic over time. Mothers found it harder to talk about donor siblings than donors and said they’d talk about donor siblings when their children were older because it seemed too complicated for young kids. Several chose not to search for genetic connections, saying they wanted their child to decide later.
Riggs et al. (2023) interviewed 9 men, trans/masculine, and non-binary people from Australia, Germany, Canada, the UK, and US (average age 34, most with one child) who conceived using known sperm donors. Most were clear upfront about what role they wanted the donor to play and used this to guide their search. Most wanted the donors to be known to children but not serve as co-parents. Some created kinship arrangements with donors and their families, maintaining a distinction between biological relatedness and recognized social kinship. Sometimes this happened through collaborative negotiation with the donor, and sometimes it was decided by parents and communicated to the donor. Some participants emphasized letting children determine their own relationships with donors as they grew, with parents creating conditions enabling that possibility.
Alsup et al. (2026) evaluated a class-based psychoeducational model for gamete recipients at a private fertility clinic as an alternative to individual mental health consultations. The clinic offered both formats, and patients chose between them. Classes were delivered virtually, tailored by family type (same-sex couples, solo parents, cisgender couples), ran 90 minutes, and cost $150 compared to $495 for individual sessions. Over one year, 75% of eligible patients chose the class format. Among class participants, 81% rated the session as moderately to extremely helpful. Top reasons patients chose classes were: lower cost, interest in meeting others on a similar path, and perception of greater inclusivity.
Pacey et al. (2026) analyzed the records of 2,443 women who applied to become egg donors at a major US commercial bank and found only 2.5% were ultimately accepted, with 51% rejected at initial screening for failing to meet commercial criteria (BMI, height, age). Identity-release preference was not significantly associated with acceptance rates.
Sarafraz & Ghafoori (2026) interviewed 22 Iranian clinicians and health officials about the ethics of cross-border fertility tourism. Different countries have different rules about who can access fertility treatment, which can create confusion and legal problems for patients. Iran's fertility clinics don't have consistent standards, making it hard for patients to trust the system. Infertility, using donor eggs or sperm, and traveling for treatment all carry shame separately and together. Religious questions complicate things. There's uncertainty about who counts as a child's mahram (family guardian) and tension between Iran's focus on preserving family lineage and other countries' anonymity rules. Cheaper treatment in Iran attracts foreign patients, which competes for limited resources local patients need. Clinicians reported some women being pushed into donating by husbands collecting payment against their wishes. Despite all these concerns, most clinicians supported fertility tourism as a necessary option for people who otherwise couldn't become parents.
Other Tidbits
A Newsweek profile features Michele Desrosiers, who discovered at age 42 through a DNA test that she was donor-conceived after being approached by a genetic half-sister through ancestry matching.
Filmmaker and writer Lauren Caster reflects on how knowing where she came from wasn't the same as understanding what it meant. She writes about being raised by a lesbian mother who never hid her donor conception and inventing stories to fill the gaps, like imagining her biological father as Spider-Man. Her semi-autobiographical feature film Rhythm is a Dancer is available on Apple TV and Amazon.
Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe