THE AGE AND BY WHOM A DONOR-CONCEIVED PERSON RECEIVES INFORMATION SIGNIFICANTLY EFFECTS THEIR EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) recommends that the impact in children following gamete donation should be a top priority for future infertility research. We sought to identify factors that influence the experience of being a donor-conceived person (DCP). A survey was disseminated to adult DCP through the Donor Sibling Registry (DSR). The survey included questions about donor type, relationship with the donor and half-siblings and their overall satisfaction with being a DCP. Appropriate bivariate statistics were used to compare characteristics of those with a positive/neutral vs. negative DCP experience. 529 people completed the survey. Most felt “neutral” (31.6%), “positive” (26.3%) or “very positive” (20.8%) about being a DCP regardless of donor type (p=0.39). Those with a neutral/positive experience were less likely to have a college degree (66.2% vs 80.5%, p=0.003), be married (33.9% vs 53.1%, p<0.001) and have children (29.8% vs 44.2%, p=0.004). While most found out about being a DCP after age 18 (63.4%), those with a positive experience were more likely to “have always known” (40.7% vs. 21.2%, p<0.001) and be told by a family member (75.2% vs. 60.2%, p=0.004). Those with a positive experience were not more likely to consider the donor a relative (46.4% vs 37.0%, p=0.39) or have an ongoing relationship with one or more half-siblings from the same donor (24.5% vs 24.1%, p=0.94). Additionally, there was no difference in the current self-reported satisfaction with the donor relationship (77.0 vs. 64.5, p=0.09). However, a negative experience being a DCP was associated with having medical complications due to lack of a complete health history (30.0% vs. 64.6%, p<0.001). DCP are more likely to have positive feelings surrounding their conception if they are told at a young age by a family member and have regularly updated and accessible medical information.