Abstract
ObjectiveTo study the processes by which donor-conceived children incorporate donor conception into their subjective sense of identity.DesignCross-sectional.SettingFamily homes.Patient(s)Nineteen donor-conceived adolescents.Intervention(s)Administration of an interview and questionnaire.Main Outcome Measure(s)The mother-child relationship was assessed through the Friends and Family Interview, a semistructured interview designed to assess adolescents' security of attachment in terms of secure-autonomous, insecure-dismissive, insecure-preoccupied, and insecure-disorganized attachment patterns. The Donor Conception Identity Questionnaire assessed adolescents' thoughts and feelings about donor conception, yielding two factors: [1] curiosity about donor conception and [2] avoidance of donor conception.Result(s)Statistically significant associations were found between the Curiosity scale and the secure-autonomous and insecure-dismissing attachment ratings. Adolescents with secure-autonomous attachment patterns were more interested in exploring donor conception whereas those with insecure-dismissing patterns were less likely to express curiosity. Insecure-disorganized attachment ratings were statistically significantly correlated with the Avoidance scale, indicating higher levels of negative feelings about donor conception.Conclusion(s)The results of this study of the influence of parent-child relationships on thoughts and feelings about donor conception in adolescence suggest that the valence of the parent-child relationship influences adolescents' appraisal of their donor conception within the context of their growing sense of identity.
Highlights
I am still trying to figure out how donor conception relates to who I am
I have thought a great deal about donor conception
The items included ‘‘I have thought a great deal about donor conception,’’ ‘‘Being donor conceived is just part of who I am,’’ and ‘‘I think a lot about the characteristics I might share with my donor.’’ The Avoidance factor reflected a sense of disengagement from the topic and negative feelings, such as anger and anxiety, about being donor conceived
Summary
The participants were recruited through the Donor Sibling Registry, a U.S.-based registry that facilitates contact between same-donor offspring, their parents, and donors. An e-mail giving information about the study and requesting assistance was sent to single mothers and partnered lesbian mothers who [1] were living within the tristate area of New York designated for its accessibility to the researchers, [2] had one or more adolescent children conceived by donor insemination, and [3] had found at least one of their child's donor-siblings. Nineteen adolescents conceived by donor insemination took part in this research, representing 90% of those who were approached about the study. As face-to-face interviews were being conducted with donor-conceived adolescents, the study provided an opportunity to assess their relationships with donor siblings and their attachment relationships with parents
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