Another new study released on donor-conceived adults!

Also released to the public yesterday (although I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with two studies in a single day!!), I cannot neglect yet another fantastic study done by a fellow donor-conceived adult AND library science student!!

Amber Cushing is a doctoral student at UNC-Chapel Hill in Library and Information Science, and published her study on the searching experiences of donor-conceived individuals this month in Information Research (Vol. 15, No. 2 - June 2010).

"I just want more information about who I am": the search experience of sperm-donor offspring, searching for information about their donors and genetic heritage

Abstract

Introduction. This paper discusses the findings of a qualitative study of sperm-donor offspring conceived in the United States who have searched for information about their donors and genetic heritage. It explores how these individuals search for information and the characteristics of such searches.
Method. Sixteen telephone interviews were conducted with sperm-donor offspring who had engaged in varying levels of search for varying amounts of time.
Analysis. Interview transcripts were coded with codes initially developed from the interview guide.
Results. Results indicate that sperm-donor offspring often begin their search by talking to their mother and then trying to contact their mother's doctor, very soon after being told that they were donor-conceived. Next, individuals use University yearbooks to find "look-alikes." Eventually, some donor offspring attempt to contact prospective donors.
Conclusions. Overall, this research demonstrates the sometimes intense, emotional and personally driven nature of search. Many participants engaged in search to gain a greater sense of their identity and self.

This article is free to access with the above link.

I was one of the offspring interviewed for this study.....betcha can't figure out which one I am!!!! ;-) haha

Apparently, even while Hollywood is making $$ this summer off exploiting the likes of donor-conceived persons, without regard to our POV (ie. the Back-Up Plan and the handful of other films to come out this season on the same - and highly biased - topic).......we, as adult offspring, are standing up and showing the world what we have to say!!