Donor-conceived children have spoken

The 2020 We Are Donor Conceived survey was designed to provide greater understanding about the feelings, perspectives, and experiences of people conceived via gamete donation. To garner as many responses from donor conceived adults as possible, the survey was shared on two Facebook groups for donor conceived people: We Are Donor Conceived and the Worldwide Donor Conceived People Network. 

According to the hundreds of respondents from “We Are Donor Conceived” survey:

• 95% believe it is wrong for parents of donor conceived children to keep their child’s method of conception a secret from their child.
• 86% do not support the use of anonymous donor eggs or sperm to conceive a child.
• 91% of respondents believe sperm banks do not adequately understand or respect the emotional needs of donor conceived people.
• Respondents were also strongly in favor of a set limit on how many offspring a single donor can produce. When asked how many offspring would be appropriate, the majority selected “fewer than five”.
• The survey also reveals that Donors (and donor siblings) are significant.
• 65% of respondents agree with the statement “My donor is half of who I am”.
• 94% indicated they often wonder what personality traits, skills, and/or physical similarities they share with their donor.
• 96% said they would like to know how many donor siblings they have, and a strong majority indicated they are open to forming a relationship with their donor (87%) or donor siblings (96%).

• UK, Australia, Austria, Sweden, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and others have introduced a mandate that supports the right to the offspring to know their biological parent.

• The identity of known donors ensures the availability of the medical background of the donor.

Click to hear more from We Are Donor Conceived.