Parents emphasize ongoing support needs, noting donor conception's long-term family impacts
Heterosexual parents' experiences of their donor-conceived children's search for and/or contact with their donors in New Zealand prior to identity-release provisions. (Duff, 2025)
Duff, M. A., & Goedeke, S. (2025). Heterosexual parents' experiences of their donor-conceived children's search for and/or contact with their donors in New Zealand prior to identity-release provisions. Human Fertility, 28(1), 2510992. https://doi.org/10.1080/14647273.2025.2510992
Geographic Region: New Zealand
Research Question: What are the experiences of heterosexual parents in New Zealand whose donor-conceived children have searched for and/or made contact with their donors, particularly those who conceived prior to identity-release provisions?
Design: Qualitative study used online Zoom interviews or in-person home visits conducted between May-July 2023. The study employed thematic analysis using Braun and Clarke's six-stage process, including data familiarization, initial coding, theme identification and review, and report production.
Sample: Nine parents (seven individuals and one couple) representing eight families with 15 donor-conceived children. Participants were heterosexual, coupled parents of New Zealand European ethnicity with a mean age of 65.6 years. Most children (14 of 15) were born prior to the HART Act implementation, with births spanning from 1980-2004. All donor-conceived children had made contact with their donors (5 egg donors, 10 sperm donors), with 11 reporting ongoing relationships. Most parents had chosen identity-release donors when available through their fertility clinics. Participants were recruited through consumer groups (FertilityNZ and Donor Conceived Aotearoa).
Key Findings
All parents believed donor-conceived children had a fundamental right to know their genetic origins and viewed donor linking as a natural outcome of disclosure.
Disclosure timing varied widely, from birth to 24 years old, with parents citing reasons including knowledge as a fundamental right, preventing consanguinity, normalizing donor conception, avoiding family secrecy, and concerns about inadvertent discovery through DNA testing or medical situations.
Two main patterns of donor contact emerged: parent-initiated early contact (before age 18, often in infancy) aimed at normalizing donor conception and establishing clear pathways for ongoing relationships, and donor-conceived person-led searching ranging from teenage years to late adulthood (18-38 years) based on parents' belief that donor conception was "their child's story" requiring individual autonomy in deciding when and how to make contact.
Parents positioned themselves as facilitators or supporters of linking while emphasizing that the process should be led by the donor-conceived person, though parents who initiated early contact took a more active role in establishing initial relationships during childhood while still acknowledging their children would control ongoing contact as adults.
Donor and donor family willingness were identified as key factors enabling successful contact. Positive experiences occurred when donors expressed openness, such as one donor saying, "I'll be guided by them (the children), whatever they want." However, parents reported disappointment when donors became reluctant over time due to changed circumstances, when donors' partners or families opposed contact (one donor's adult children and ex-wife said "No, no, no! We won't accept her"), or when donors maintained boundaries that limited deeper relationships. Some donors experienced their own struggles with boundaries, feeling anxiety about being "too close" or "stalking" on social media, highlighting the complex emotional dynamics affecting all parties in the donor-linking process.
Parents emphasized the ongoing, complex nature of donor conception impacts, describing it as "dropping a pebble in the pond" with far-reaching ripple effects.
Limitations: The small sample size and self-selection bias limit generalizability to other populations. The study included only heterosexual parents. The research relied on parents' retrospective recollections and did not include DCP perspectives.
Applications: Mental health professionals can provide ongoing support throughout the entire donor conception journey and develop expertise in donor-linking dynamics. Clinics, banks, and matching programs should clearly communicate the long-term implications of donor conception choices.
Funding Source: Not explicitly mentioned
Lead Author: Michelle Duff is affiliated with the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, School of Clinical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand. No specific personal connection to donor conception was mentioned.
Regulatory Context
New Zealand operates under the Human Assisted Reproductive Technology Act (2004), which specifies procedures for reproductive assistance and promotes an ethic of openness regarding donor information.
Open-identity (identity-release) donors' details are recorded on the HART register and made available to donor-conceived offspring at age 18 or earlier upon application by parents.
The law prohibits commercialization of gamete donation and surrogacy arrangements, though altruistic procurement is permitted.
Access to publicly funded fertility treatment is based on Clinical Priority Assessment Criteria (CPAC), which requires a medical diagnosis of infertility. These criteria limit who can access government-funded treatment, creating challenges for individuals and couples embarking on family-building projects, particularly those experiencing social rather than medical infertility.
Related Posts