Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Offspring of donor sperm face torment

Study discovers adults conceived from donor sperm feel isolated

Artificial insemnination can bequeath a litany of personality disorders on a child.

WASHINGTON - People conceived through sperm donation are more likely to experience depression, delinquency and substance abuse, according to a new survey.

The survey - conducted by the New York-based Commission on Parenthood's Future - also found that those conceived through sperm donation experienced greater confusion about their own identity than those who were adopted or raised by their biological parents.

The donor-conceived adults also experience significant isolation from their families and widespread concern that they might be related biologically to someone they could date.

A report on the findings, called My Daddy's Name Is Donor: A New Study of Young Adults Conceived Through Sperm Donation, was published June 3 and is available online at www.familyscholars.org.

It is touted as the first representative, comparative study of the experiences of those conceived through sperm donation.

GLOBAL PRACTISE

The report said sperm donation "has been practised widely in the United States and around the world for decades," with an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 children born each year through sperm donation in the U.S. alone.

The study looked at a representative sample of 485 adults between the ages of 18 and 45 who said their mother used a sperm donor to conceive them, as well as comparison groups of 562 young adults who were adopted as infants and 563 young adults who were raised by their biological parents.

"We learned that, on average, young adults conceived through sperm donation are hurting more, are more confused and feel more isolated from their families," the report said.

"Donor offspring are significantly more likely than those raised by their biological parents to struggle with serious, negative outcomes such as delinquency, substance abuse and depression, even when controlling for socioeconomic and other factors."

The Catholic Church considers sperm donation to be morally objectionable because it separates the unitive and procreative aspects of sexual intercourse.

Nevertheless, 36 per cent of the donor-conceived respondents said they had been raised as Catholics and 32 per cent said that continued to be their religious preference.

Karen Clark, an investigator for the study, has a personal reason for wanting the views of donor offspring to become better known. She herself was conceived from a sperm donation - a fact she did not know until she was 18 and the father who raised her had died.

"I grew up in a family where it was hidden, shameful . . . and I don't want to see (others) experience that kind of stigma and shame," she told Catholic News Service in a phone interview.

CONFUSED RELATIONSHIPS

In addition to its effects on the well-being of the children conceived, Clark said sperm donation creates societal problems because it "commodifies human life" and confuses family relationships.

"We all have room in our hearts and in our families for all kinds of people in all kinds of capacities," she said. "My (biological) father cannot replace my dad, but my dad can't replace my father either."

She said she does not think "we are getting enough voices out there of children who are hurting - they're getting lost in the debate."

"I don't see enough debate out there about the pros and cons" of sperm donation and other reproductive technologies, Clark said. "I am hoping that the report will build more awareness of the downsides and will spark more open, fair debate."

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