DNA testing forever changed donor conception

DNA testing (and the family secrets it sometimes reveals) has been in the news a lot this year. As Dani Shapiro’s memoir Inheritance made clear, a simple DNA test can upend an identity and dismantle a family story. Those of us working in the field of reproductive medicine know that Shapiro’s story is far from unique. Increasingly often, young (and not so young) adults learn “by accident” that they were donor-conceived. Readers may wonder how this happens. How can parents keep a secret so significant from their children? As a therapist whose practice includes many parents who had children through donor conception, I would like to shed some light on this. (In a future blog, I’ll address the feelings and experiences of their children. Many are bewildered by their parents’ decisions not to tell them. They’re angry about the widespread practice — and seeming acceptance — of anonymous egg and sperm donation. Possibly for them, and for their parents, one step toward healing might be gaining an understanding of the reasons and patterns for this secrecy.) Two major reasons for secrecy around donor conception Donor parents have usually experienced infertility. Donor conception is almost never a first choice. Often, men and women who have children through the help of a donor experienced infertility or had an illness that rendered them infertile. Possibly, they have a genetic condition that they want to avoid passing on to a child. Loss brings them to donor conception ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Fertility Infertility Mental Health Source Type: blogs