Study reveals nuances in how young DCP feel about their origins
'I know it's not normal but it's normal to me, and that's all that matters': experiences of young adults conceived through egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy (Jadva, 2023)
Jadva, V., Jones, C., Hall, P., Imrie, S., & Golombok, S. (2023). 'I know it's not normal but it's normal to me, and that's all that matters': experiences of young adults conceived through egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy. Human Reproduction, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dead048
Geographic Region: United Kingdom
Research Question: What are the thoughts and feelings of young adults born following egg donation, sperm donation, and surrogacy?
Design: Semi-structured interviews conducted over internet (Zoom) as part of larger UK Longitudinal Study of Assisted Reproduction Families Longitudinal study (seventh phase).
Sample: 35 young adults (mean age 20 years) born from traditional surrogacy (n=10), gestational surrogacy (n=5), egg donation (n=11), and sperm donation (n=9). All from heterosexual couple families. Most had anonymous donors. Majority told about conception by age 4. 74% response rate (35 of 47 eligible participants)
Key Findings:
40% felt their conception made them feel special/unique and 60% felt neutral or unconcerned about their conception. People conceived through egg donation were more likely to say they felt special about it. Most said their feelings stayed the same over time, though some became more positive as they understood it better.
Most rarely discussed their conception but found conversations easy when they occurred. Nobody reported negative reactions when telling others.
70% said they did not know anyone else conceived the same way. Almost none were part of support groups. They rarely searched for information about their conception.
Participants usually felt most comfortable talking about it with their mothers. Almost everyone said not being genetically related to a parent didn't affect their relationship. Only two people felt it had some impact on their relationship with their mother. No one felt it affected their relationship with their father.
Of the 20 people conceived via egg or sperm donation, only one was in contact with the donor. 4 out of 5 participants who were gestational surrogacy conceived and 5 out of 10 participants who were traditional surrogacy conceived were in contact with the surrogate.
Of the 25 people who were not in contact with the donor/surrogate, 44% wished to meet them, 32% did not want contact, and 24% were unsure. Those who did have contact had different types of relationships - some were close, others just connected on social media. Only one person had actively tried to find information about the donor.
Limitations: Not known how non-participants feel about their conception. Sample may be more likely to discuss conception due to long-term study participation. Self-report measures may be prone to social desirability bias. Sample limited to heterosexual couple families. The participants were born before the 2005 UK law change that ensured access to information about their donor's identity at age 18 and information about donor siblings who have expressed interest in contact.
Applications: The authors highlight that this study fills an important knowledge gap by showing that young adults who learned early about their origins and weren't recruited through support groups generally feel positive or neutral about their conception.
Funding Source: Wellcome Trust [grant number 208013/Z/17/Z]
Lead Author: Vasanti Jadva is a researcher at the Institute for Women's Health, University College London, with expertise in the psychological aspects of assisted reproduction.
Regulatory Context
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the UK's independent regulator overseeing fertility treatment and research using human embryos.
In 2005, the UK changed its laws regulating gamete donation from anonymous donation to identifiable donation.
As of October 2023, donor conceived people conceived on or after April 1, 2005 can access information about their donor's identity and request information about the identity of any donor siblings who have also expressed interest in contact at age 18.
Those conceived before the law change in 2005 do not have the same legal right to identifying information about their donors, who were guaranteed anonymity at the time of donation.
The UK has a voluntary register called the Donor Conceived Register (DCR) which allows donors and donor conceived people from before 2005 to voluntarily register and potentially match with each other.