The donor’s future role in the child’s life MCK Fertility Centre Views of candidate parents & donors A. Brewaeys, M. Brewaeys E. de Reus

Questions under investigation MCK Fertility Centre 1. Parents’ and donors’ desire for non identifying information 2. Parents’ intention to inform child 3. Parents’ and donors’ views on:  The child’s right to know its donor origin  Chance child wants to meet donor  Acceptance of future meeting between child and donor  Donor’s future role in child’s life

Materials and Methods MCK Fertility Centre Self developed questionnaire (response rate: 96%) Population  Donors 47  Heterosexual couples 77  Lesbian couples105  Single women 80

Demographic characteristics candidate parents MCK Fertility Centre Age in yearsEducation mean (SD)% with at least college level ______________________________________________________ He couples32 (4.8)54% Le couples33 (3.8)63% Single women37 (2.4)68% ____________________________________________

Donor characteristics MCK Fertility Centre Age in years 37 (SD: 7.3) Education (%)73 (with at least college level) Sexual orientation (%) heterosexual : 93 Marital status (%) single: 54 Children (%) no: 73 Child wish (%) no: 42 yes: 34 yes later: 24

Motivations to donate (%) MCK Fertility Centre Helping infertile people95 Creating offspring61 Some kind of fatherhood24 Validate own fertility12 Financial reimbursement 5

What do candidate parents want to know about the donor (%) MCK Fertility Centre No information 8 _________________________________ Personality characteristics28 Life circumstances21 Physical characteristics16 Number of children born10 Professional activity 9 Motivation donor 8

What do donors want to know about candidate parents (%) MCK Fertility Centre No information10 ________________________________ Number of children born88 Life circumstances (family type)21 Personality / Physical characteristics 5

Parents´ attitudes towards telling (%) MCK Fertility Centre Intention to tell? YesDon´t know / later ___________________________________________ He couples8812 Le couples92 8 Single women93 7 ___________________________________________

How difficult is telling? (%) MCK Fertility Centre not difficultrather difficult difficult ______________________________________________ He couples Le couples Single women ______________________________________________

Most frequently expected difficulties are MCK Fertility Centre  At what age do I tell what kind of story?  When is the child ready to understand?  Would telling harm the child?  Would telling change the relationship between the non- genetic parent and the child?

Child´s right to know donor´s identity(%) MCK Fertility Centre AgreePartly agree Disagree _____________________________________________ He couples Le couples Single women _____________________________________________ Donors100-- _____________________________________________

Chance (informed) child wants to meet donor (%) MCK Fertility Centre 50%Don’t know _______________________________________________ He couples Le couples Single women57124 _______________________________________________ Donors _______________________________________________

Views on future meeting donor-child MCK Fertility Centre What would you think about a future meeting between your child and the donor ? (%) rather not would not mindwould want to ___________________________________________________________ He couples Le couples Single women ______________________________________________ Donors ____________________________________________________________________________

Views on donor’s future role in child’s life candidate parents (%) MCK Fertility Centre “what do you expect about the donor’s role in the child’s life?” He Les Single _________________________________________________________ None Provider of information of certain characteristics Person with whom child builds up a relationship4520 Don’t know / depends on child8616 ___________________________________________________________

Views on donor’s future role in child’s life donors (%) MCK Fertility Centre “What do you expect about your role in the child’s life?” None15 Provider of information of certain characteristics51 Person with whom child builds up a relationship34

Summary Results show a great diversity of opinions and feelings  Between groups  Within groups An overlook on data along following lines:  The answers to our main study questions  Interesting differences between groups  Clinical implications Medisch Centrum Kinderwens

Most striking findings: parents’ & donors’ desire for information Majority of the parents would have liked some donor information  He couples the least  Most requested:  personality characteristics (intelligence) Donors less interested They mainly want know the number of children born out of their donation. MCK Fertility Centre

Clinical implications Should fertility clinics reconsider their policy ?  What about giving candidate parents the opportunity to receive donor information?  What about giving them the opportunity to make their own donor choice? Medisch Centrum Kinderwens

Most striking findings telling child MCK Fertility Centre Majority intends to inform child A respectable number finds it “rather difficult” to tell Difficulties: Which story at what age ? Impact on family relationships and welfare child? Clinical implications Need to develop written materials and counseling programs that provide tools and help for DI parents in their proces of telling

Most striking findings future contact child-donor MCK Fertility Centre Right to know donor’s identity?  Half He couples  Majority Le couples & S mothers  All donors Half of all groups: the chance of a future meeting >50. The majority: no objection against a meeting The donor’s future role?  None : He couples: 49%,  Provider of information : Le couples & single mothers 50%  Relationship with child : Single mothers 20% & Donors 34%

Heterosexual couples Ambivalence and uncertainty in their answers. This is reflected in :  Their difficulties to tell  No full commitment to the law: some question the child’s right to know the donor’s identity  Ambivalence about a future meeting donor-child Need to develop group counseling programs for candidate parents and for parents with children Medisch Centrum Kinderwens

Single mothers Most open to donor contact in future 20% would like their child to have an emotional relationship with donor Does absence of a partner increases donor expectations? Risk child will grow up with donor expectations that might never be fulfilled Counseling should address these issues Medisch Centrum Kinderwens

Donors  Profile: mean age 37 highly educated 50% single 73% no children & 58 % child wish  Helping the infertile major motive but… creating offspring 61% some kind of fatherhood 24%  All under scribe the child’s right to know donor’s identity  34% would want to built up a relationship with the child. MCK Fertility Centre