HFEA Annual Conference 15 March 2005 “All I can remember is that I’ve always known …” Young People’s Experiences of Early Disclosure of Donor Conception Eric Blyth University of Huddersfield

Objectives Outline current state of knowledge about the impact of donor conception on donor-conceived people who have known about their conception from an early age How to help patients prepare for parenthood

What we know about the experiences of donor-conceived people We know nothing about most donor-conceived people Lot of “grey literature” - few systematic academic research studies Available information: (a) limited almost exclusively to DI (b) includes accounts of people who learned of their conception at varying times and circumstances + Most studies => majority of parents unlikely to tell their children but possibility that tide of opinion may be changing.

What we know about young people’s experiences of early disclosure of donor conception AuthorsCountryYoung peopleHouseholds Scheib et al. (2004) USA29: lesbian, single parent and heterosexual couple Vanfraussen et al. (2001, 2003) Belgium41: 7 – 17lesbian Blyth et al. (np)UK14: heterosexual couple

Findings: Overview Small numbers => tentative observations only ‘Success stories’ may be over-represented Children and families can successfully accommodate knowledge of donor conception Parents can tell their donor-conceived children about their conception without fear of adverse consequences.

Findings (1) All young people are different Disclosure does not appear to have jeopardised young people’s sense of identity or psychological well-being. When asked, most young people cannot remember a time when they did not know Disclosure does not appear to have jeopardised family relationships When asked, nearly all young people say they were glad to have been told

Findings (2) Most young people are interested in learning more about their donor No evidence of problematic relationships with their parents Some young people are interested in learning the donor’s identity and making contact Some young people are interested in learning about others sharing the same donor – and possibly making contact Sharing information results in few adverse experiences

Helping patients prepare for parenthood Timing is important Dealing with issues beforehand Information Books Research People do tell their children about their conception