Author Topic: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?  (Read 634 times)

Offline NPEWhoopsThatsMe

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Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« on: Wednesday 07 April 21 21:14 BST (UK) »
So, in a twist of fate it turns out that my spouse is also an NPE. We suspect that they were donor conceived (early 1980s). Does anyone with experience of research in this area have any suggestions for contextual resources or research paths? We have done an Ancestry match and we're building trees based one what we do know but there are no very close matches with trees so it's going to take a while to piece together the paternal line.

Does anyone know about where people from the East Midlands of an average income might have gone for fertility treatment at the time? How much did it cost? Would it have been beyond their means?

Offline brigidmac

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 07 April 21 21:21 BST (UK) »
My motyher has just had a match with a donor conceived .the manager of account on ancestry specialized in finding relatives

In USA. Tho
I think they said 1 man has approx  130 children

Must have gone to the clinic every month of course many students earned cash from sperm donation

P.m me and i.ll ask if they're willing to help
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Offline groom

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 07 April 21 21:42 BST (UK) »
This raises an interesting point, as apparently anyone conceived with donor sperm has the right to request non-identifying information from the age of 16 and identifying information from the age of 18. The HFEA will notify the donor before any of his information is released.

So if people start to trace donors through DNA will that bypass that? Would anyone who has been a donor be interested in any children they helped father?
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Offline NPEWhoopsThatsMe

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 07 April 21 21:53 BST (UK) »
This raises an interesting point, as apparently anyone conceived with donor sperm has the right to request non-identifying information from the age of 16 and identifying information from the age of 18. The HFEA will notify the donor before any of his information is released.

So if people start to trace donors through DNA will that bypass that? Would anyone who has been a donor be interested in any children they helped father?

Yes it's interesting but it's a whole separate question that doesn't apply here - those clauses relate to those conceived post-1991. My spouse was conceived in the 1980s, there was no paperwork, no records and no regulation at all. DNA is the only way to find answers. They had no choice in their conception and parents were actively encouraged to forget about the whole thing and told never to tell their children. It's pretty traumatic.


Offline Gadget

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 07 April 21 21:58 BST (UK) »
I worked on a research project in the 1970s which involved interviewing couples going through fertility treatment. The consultant that I was working  with also undertook private AID. He told me that many of the donors were medical students. 

Then it would have been unethical to disclose any information.
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Offline Heb66

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 08 April 21 15:36 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

You may find DNA FAMILY SECRETS on BBC 1  iplayer episode 2 interesting for you. A young lady also donor conceived in the uk had help tracing half siblings. I think as far as I can remember there is a database you can put your name to. The programmes are still on iplayer.

Good Luck !!
Payne, Woodchester Glos / Kings Norton Worcs.
Luker, Glos.
Davis, Smith, Evans, Lockstone,Latham, Kings Stanley.
Bingham; Stroud, Glos.
Gore: Glos/ Plymouth.
Rodway: Woodchester, Glos. Wanted Henry Rodway born 1849. Missing since 1881.
Morgan: Nettleton Wilts / Stroud Glos.

Offline NPEWhoopsThatsMe

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Re: Donor conceived - context and best avenues to explore?
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 08 April 21 19:05 BST (UK) »
Hi all,

You may find DNA FAMILY SECRETS on BBC 1  iplayer episode 2 interesting for you. A young lady also donor conceived in the uk had help tracing half siblings. I think as far as I can remember there is a database you can put your name to. The programmes are still on iplayer.

Good Luck !!

Thanks so much for the tip.