I’m excited to launch this newsletter dedicated to reviewing and discussing peer-reviewed research related to donor conception. My goal is to create a space where all members of the donor conception community can stay informed about current studies, critically examine research findings, and explore the implications.
Why a journal club?
Stay informed: The field of donor conception is rapidly evolving. By regularly reviewing new studies, we can keep up with the latest findings and developments.
Critical analysis: Collectively, we can enhance our ability to evaluate research methodologies, results, and conclusions critically.
Diverse perspectives: This space is open to all - parents, donor-conceived individuals, donors, and professionals. This diversity will enrich our discussions and understanding.
Practical applications: We can explore how research findings might inform personal decisions, clinical practice, and policy.
Who am I?
I’m Laura Runnels. As the founder of this journal club, I believe it's important to be transparent about my own background and potential biases.
I am a recipient parent vis sperm donation. While I ultimately conceived with an ID Release donor from a bank in the United States, I did pursue known donations with both close friends and people I found online. I am also the aunt of a donor-conceived child. This personal connection to donor conception inevitably shapes my perspective and interests.
Furthermore, while my training and background in public health inform my approach to analyzing research, I have blind spots in many areas. I am not a professional researcher, and my understanding of complex statistical analyses or specialized methodologies may be limited.
I am a cisgender female, white, and heterosexual. My identity as a member of several privileged groups inevitably shapes my worldview and may influence how I interpret research findings, especially those related to diverse populations or experiences different from my own.
While I strive for objectivity in reviewing research, I acknowledge that my experiences may influence how I interpret and prioritize certain findings. I may have unconscious biases that affect the most relevant or compelling studies.
How can folks engage?
I'm excited to foster an interactive and collaborative learning environment. Here are some ways you can engage with the content and with me:
Read: I will post research summaries twice a week. In weeks when there’s nothing new published, I’ll dip into past years’ research.
Comment: Please share your thoughts, questions, and insights in the comment section of each post. Your perspective is valuable, whether you're agreeing, disagreeing, or offering additional context.
Share: Share this substack with others who are interested in keeping up with research related to donor conception.
Suggest: If you come across interesting research related to donor conception, please share it! You can email me (laura@laurarunnels.com) or mention it in the comments.
I’m providing this resource free of charge to remove barriers to access for those seeking information on donor conception research. The email list will be used solely for distributing research summaries and will not be shared or sold to third parties. Subscribers have the option to easily unsubscribe at any time.
Remember, this is a learning community. All perspectives are welcome, but please engage respectfully and be open to differing viewpoints. Let's create a supportive environment where we can collectively enhance our understanding of donor conception research.
I'm always looking to improve this space. Please share your suggestions, critiques, or ideas for making this community more valuable and inclusive.
Thanks for setting this up Laura such a great idea 💡
I just started my profile to talk about this from my own perspective. Me being raised by a lesbian couple as a child from anonimous donor in the late 70's. As far as they know one of the first in the world. I was interviewed at 10years old on english and american radio stations to explain how different that was, which for me of course it wasn't. I am surprised sometimes how this topic is still so prejudiced 40 years later, yet here we are. Back then i was the news of the day. Now my own hypothesis and questions around the theme has made me an outlaw in donor groups that say they are meant for ALL donor concieved children. I feel only one discourse overrules and just one narrative is being told. I am being silenced like i am no longer one of them.