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Articles
44 Siblings and Counting “A lack of regulation has created enormous genetic families. Now they are searching for one another.”
The Changing Norms Around Donor-Sibling Networks “As sperm donation becomes more common, some parents are now starting to introduce kids to their genetic relatives at an early age.”
A Conception Conundrum “Many donor conceived children voice “genetic bewilderment” about their origins. Can the trend toward open-identity donation address these existential concerns?”
Dani Shapiro: ‘Science will bring an end to these family secrets’ “As a young Jewish girl, Dani Shapiro always felt different. Years later she found out why . . . She reveals what she learned about family, identity — and the hard truths of DNA tests”
Dear Anonymous Dad “Tens of thousands of children conceived by donors are grown up now and wondering who their fathers are. Advances in DNA testing are helping them find out.”
DNA Detectives and the End of Family Secrets “Sign up at a DNA site and you might uncover Viking ancestry — or who your father was. Adoptees and donor-conceived people can now make shock genetics discoveries with a simple saliva swab and they’re doing it in droves.”
DNA Testing for the Donor Conceived Resources about DNA testing from the International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki
The Fertility Doctor’s Secret “Donald Cline must have thought no one would ever know. Then DNA testing came along.”
Finding the Lost Generation of Sperm Donors “Tens of thousands of donor-conceived children grew up thinking they’d never know their biological fathers. Now, they have a chance to.”
Genetic Testing and Family Secrets “With more people using commercial genetic tests to find family members and learn more about their DNA, psychologists consider the risks and benefits.”
How a DNA Testing Kit Revealed a Family Secret Hidden for 54 Years Dani Shapiro tells the story behind her bestseller “Inheritance.”
I’m the Result of a Secret Sperm Concoction The “New York Post” reports on author Dani Shapiro’s discovery that she was donor conceived.
In the 23andMe Era, Kids of Sperm Donors Are Finding Each Other “Imagine discovering you have a half-sibling you’ve never met — or dozens of them. Customers of genetic-information services are uncovering family secrets, and then using social networks to make connections.”
The Jarring Experience of Learning You Were Conceived With Donor Sperm or Eggs: “In the beginning my body felt invaded. And I didn’t know who made up the other half of me.”
My Father Was an Anonymous Sperm Donor. I Feel the Consequences of That Every Day. An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times calls for regulation of the fertility industry.
One Sperm Donor, 150 Offspring “As more women choose to have babies on their own, and the number of children born through artificial insemination increases, outsize groups of donor siblings are starting to appear.”
Should We Ban Donor Anonymity? Alana Newman interviews advocate Nick Isel about the lack of regulation in third-party reproduction.
The Sperm-Donor Kids Are Not Really All Right “A new study shows they suffer.”
Sperm Donors May Want Anonymity, but There Are Real Kids Out There “Of the 60,000 donor-conceived people in Australia, the majority don’t realize that’s how they were born. If they find out, things can get complicated.”
Their Children Were Conceived with Donated Sperm. It Was the Wrong Sperm. “As genetic testing becomes more widespread, parents are finding that sperm used in artificial insemination did not come from the donors they chose.”
There Are No More Secrets in Sperm Donation “Genetic testing has made it easier than ever for children of anonymous donors to fill in their family trees — whether their parents are ready or not.”
An Unanticipated Outcome of a DNA Ancestry Test A physician who was an anonymous sperm donor discusses the surprising results of a DNA test.
The Unregulated Sperm Industry A “New York Times” op-ed calls for “reasonable first steps” in regulating the industry.
Blogs & Websites
DNA=Donors Not Anonymous A booklet about donor anonymity from the Donor Sibling Registry
Books
Memoirs
Go Ask Your Father: One Man’s Obsession with Finding His Origins Through DNA Testing, by Lennard J. Davis The “account of one man’s quest to find out the truth about his genetic heritage — and confront the agonizing possibility of having to redefine the first fifty years of his life”
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, by Dani Shapiro After discovering that she was donor-conceived, the acclaimed author has written a deep exploration of identity, bioethics, and the toxicity of family secrets.
Guidebooks & Education
Finding Our Families: A First-of-Its-Kind Book for Donor-Conceived People and their Families, by Wendy Kramer and Naomi Cahn The founder and director of the Donor Sibling Registry teamed with a family law and reproductive medicine professor to create a comprehensive guide for families with donor conceived children.
Who Even Am I Anymore: A Process Journal for the Adoptee, Late Discovery Adoptee, Donor Conceived, NPE, and MPE Community, by Eve Sturges, MA, LMFT An indispensable resource for people who’ve had shocking family discoveries.
History, Description & Analysis
The Adoption and Donor Conception Factbook: The Only Comprehensive Source of U.S. & Global Data on the Invisible Families of Adoption, Foster Care & Donor Conception, by Lori Carangelo A resource “for researchers, helping professionals, activists, lawyers, lawmakers, journalists, genealogists and anyone seeking the facts about American’s multi-billion dollar Adoption, Assisted Reproduction and Foster Care Industries
The Anonymous Us Project: A Story Collective on 3rd Party Reproduction, Edited by Alana Newman Personal stories from adoptees, donor conceived persons, donors, surrogates, fertility industry professionals and more
Anonymous Us: Volume 2: A Story Collective on 3rd Party Reproduction Edited by Alana S. Newman “The Anonymous Us Project acknowledges that many members of the TPR (third-party reproduction) community have serious opinions and valid experiences regarding these alternative family structures, and they’d like to add to the public discussion but feel hesitant to speak publicly due to privacy concerns. This project allows them an opportunity to be heard without revealing their identities or risking hurt to their loved ones.”
Babies of Technology: Assisted Reproduction and the Rights of the Child, by Mary Ann Mason and Tom Ekman “Donor anonymity is preventing millions of children from knowing their genetic origins. Fertility clinics are marketing genetically enhanced babies. Career women are saving their eggs for later in life. And Third World women are renting their wombs to the rich. Meanwhile, the unregulated fertility market charges forward as a multi-billion-dollar industry. This deeply-considered book offers answers to the urgent question: Who will protect our babies of technology?”
Behind Closed Doors: Moving Beyond Secrecy and Shame, by Wendy Kramer Includes “first person essays designed to take some of the stigma out of donor conception and enable more open conversation for families affected by donor insemination.”
Children’s Rights: From Philosophy to Public Policy, by Mhairi Cowden “Despite the existence of the UN Convention on the Right of the Child there still exists a debate on whether children can really hold rights. This book presents a clear theory of children’s rights by examining controversial case studies. The author presents a pathway to translating rights into practical social and political instruments for change.
Donor Conception and the Search for Information: From Secrecy and Anonymity to Openness, by Sonia Allan “This book examines donor conception and the search for information by donor-conceived people. It details different regulatory approaches across the globe including those that provide for ‘open-identity’ or anonymous donation, or that take a ‘dual-track’ approach. In doing so, it identifies models regarding the recording and release of information about donors that may assist in the further development of the law, policy and associated practices. Arguments for and against donor anonymity are considered, and specifically critiqued.”
The Genius Factory: The Curious History of the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, by David Plotz The story of Robert Graham’s The Repository for Germinal Choice, also known as the Nobel Prize sperm bank, begun in 1980 to stem what the eccentric millionaire believed to be the genetic decline of America
The New Kinship: Constructing Donor-Conceived Families, by Naomi R. Cahn “When donors, recipients, and ‘donor kids’ find each other, they create new forms of families that exist outside of the law.” An expert on reproductive technology and the law, the author looks at the cultural shifts in thinking about family.
Regulating Creation: The Law, Ethics, and Policy of Assisted Human Reproduction, edited by Trudo Lemmens, Andrew Flavelle Martin, Cheryl Milne, and Ian B. Lee An anthology of essays pertaining to Canada’s Assisted Human Reproduction Act of 2004, “it offers a variety of perspective on the role of law in dealing with the legal, ethical, and policy issues surrounding changing reproductive technologies.”
Relative Strangers: Family Life, Genes and Donor Conception, by Petra Nordqvist and Carol Smart “Using in-depth interviews the authors explore the lived reality of donor conception and offer insights into the complexities of these new family relationships.”
The Right to Know One’s Origins: Assisted Human Reproduction and the Best Interests of Children, by Juliet R. Guichon, Michelle Giroux and Ian Mitchell The authors “look at the practice of third-party human reproduction from the perspective of the child created. By investigating the problem of secrecy about a child’s donor, conception, and anonymity regarding the donor, this account proposes reasonable solutions for legislators.”
Scattered Seeds: In Search of Family and Identity in the Sperm Donor Generation, by Jacqueline Mroz A journalist “looks at the growth of sperm donation and assisted reproduction and how it affects the children who are born, the women who buy and use the sperm to have kids, and the sperm donors who donate their genetic material to help others procreate.
Who Am I? Experiences of Donor Conception, by Dr. Alexina McWhinnie “What is it like to grow up knowing that one was conceived from donor sperm — or to find this out only much later in life? How does it feel to meet, for the first time, other children of one’s donor father — or to continue to search for the identity of the donor and of other relatives? In this book three adult offspring conceived by donor insemination share their experiences.”
Facebook & Other Groups
Adoptees, NPEs, Donor Conceived & Other Genetic Identity Seekers “Severance Magazine’s” private discussion group
Anonymous Us “The Anonymous Us Project is a safety zone for real and honest insights regarding third-party reproduction (sperm & egg donation, and surrogacy).”
Coalition for Genetic Truth (CGT) An organization that aims to educate and advocate for adoptees, NPEs, donor conceived people and others fighting for their genetic truth
DNA for the Donor Conceived A subgroup of the DNA Detectives Facebook group “for guidance in using DNA to locate biological family for individuals who are donor conceived and for donors searching for their biological children”
Donor Children A “social network for ‘donor’ conceived people, sperm/egg/embryo/surrogate ‘donors, and social parents of DC people connecting biological family and the DC community for support and to create a demographic body that can have a voice in the media, academic research, and create legislative change”
Donor Conceived Alliance of Canada An organization that advocates for “policy that prioritizes the welfare of donor-conceived people”
Donor Conceived Offspring, Siblings, Parents A Facebook group for donor conceived people, sperm and egg donors, and anyone considering donor conception
Donor Conceived People, Siblings, Parents and Donors (Sperm, Egg, Embryo) A group for all people conceived via sperm/egg/embryo donor; their siblings; people who used sperm/egg/embryo donors to conceive; anyone who donate sperm/eggs/embryos, or anyone considering donor conception.
Donor Conceived People in/Around NY A group for donor conceived people interested in meeting in or around New York.
Donor Conception Network A “supportive network of more than 2,000 mainly UK-based families with children conceived with donated sperm, eggs, or embryos, those considering or undergoing donor conception procedures; and donor conceived people”
The Donor Sibling Registry Founded to “assist individuals conceived as a result of sperm, egg or embryo donation who are seeking to make mutually desired contact with others with whom they share genetic ties”
Friends of Donor Conceived Individuals A Facebook group “to help friends of donor conceived individuals to learn how donor conceived people feel and the various obstacles and emotions we face.” It also addresses the donor industry, ethics, and rights
Gen Z Donor Conceived People A Facebook group “meant to be a positive place for younger donor conceived people who may have a different experience than older DCP for a multitude of reasons”
International Donor Offspring Alliance An organization supporting the right of donor conceived individuals to know the truth about their origins
MPE Cross Cultural Connections An inclusive, intersectional support group for DNA MP (NPE) individuals.
We Are Donor Conceived “A resource center for donor conceived people around the globe”
Film & Video
500+ Siblings — Offspring of Sperm Donors – Dr. Papa A 1992 “Hard Copy” episode about a sperm donor believed to have fathered 500 children
Anonymous Father’s Day A documentary that “explores the stories of women and men who are the children of sperm donors”
Big Fertility: It’s All About the Money A documentary about the fertility industry that follows a young woman who was a surrogate for three couples
Bio-Dad A documentary by Barry Stevens about his search for his biological father
Breeders A film by the Center for Bioethics and Culture about the impact of surrogacy on women, children, and families
DCP United A YouTube channel featuring videos by donor conceived individuals
Donor Unknown A documentary about JoEllen Marsh, whose discovery of a half sister drew the attention of the New York Times. The paper’s report led to the discovery of a dozen more siblings as well as Marsh’s biological father.
Eggsploitation A film by the Center for Bioethics and Culture about the often tragic consequences of egg donation and the need for regulation in the fertility industry
Experiences of Donor Conception Videos from the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority’s Twilight Seminar about the experiences of donor conceived individuals
Father Mother Donor Child A documentary about individuals “affected by third party reproduction, including donor-conceived adults, sperm and egg donors, sperm donor clinic directors, and parents”
Generation Cryo A reality television series about a young woman who discovers 15-half siblings
The Genius Factory A documentary about individuals conceived by donors from the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank, the brainchild of a millionaire who desired to create super-intelligent humans
Identity Theft: How I Discovered My Secret Identity In a TED Talk, Albert Frantz discusses identity, bioethics, and human rights.
Offspring Filmmaker Barry Stevens learned he had nearly 200 half-siblings and documented his efforts to discover the identity of the anonymous sperm donor who fathered them.
Secrets of the Fathers The story of twins who spent 20 years trying to track down their biological father
Sperm Donor Dad Bonds With the Kids He Never Knew He Had An episode of “CBS Sunday Morning” about a sperm donor who meets and bonds with the offspring he didn’t know he had
Sperm Donor Ethics A short video about “what happens when a child asks, ‘Who is my father?'”
Sperm Donors Anonymous A “cautionary and inspiring tale about the effects of anonymous sperm donation on donor-conceived children, their families, and on the sperm donors themselves”
Thank You for Coming A film by Sara Lamm, who learned at 29 years of age that she was donor conceived. According to the filmmaker, “The ostensible plot of ‘Thank You for Coming’ is driven by the question ‘Can I Find the Donor’ — it’s a treasure hunt of sorts; but the deeper question that drives the project is more like ‘What Can Be Known About That Which (Maybe) Cannot Be Known?”
Unknown Identity: The Untold Life of a Donor-Conceived Person In a TEDx Talk, Lizzy Forman, an advocate for donor conceived people, addresses “her privilege as a member of a new generation of kids conceived through the use of sperm banks, and the challenges of growing up with no idea of whose DNA lived within her.”
Podcasts & Radio
DIBS: Welcome to the Family “More than two decades ago, a lesbian couple conceived a child using a sperm donor. Now their kid is grown, and has decided to make a podcast.”
The Donated Life Two sisters who grew up on opposite sides of the country and discovered they were donor conceived “tell the stories of their newly discovered family, processing what it means to be donor conceived and talk to others in the donor-conceived community.”
Donor-Conceived Children Seek Missing Identities A two-part National Public Radio report on a new generation of donor-conceived children
Genius Sperm A National Public Radio conversation with David Plotz, author of a book about the Repository for Germinal Choice, commonly called the Nobel Prize Sperm Bank
Go Ask Your Father In an episode of “This American Life,” “sons and daughters get to find out the one thing they’ve always wanted to know about their father. The answers aren’t always what they hope for.”
Half of Me A podcast about “being sperm donor conceived, learning about DNA, and redefining family”
Hi, You’re My Donor Dad A conversation with a donor who’s connected with 17 adult kids
Just the Right Book Podcast Roxanne Coady talks to Dani Shapiro about her memoir “Inheritance”
Pod Academy Debating donor conception 10 years after the removal of anonymity
The Right to Information for Donor Conceived People An episode of Podsocs, podcasts for social workers, focuses on the right to information for donor conceived people.
