We Are Donor Conceived | Share Your Experience

VIDEOS

Welcome Message

If you just found out you were conceived using donated sperm or eggs, we want you to know you are not alone.

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I Found Out My Dad’s Not My Biological Father Through A DNA Test

When Sam got her family DNA tests for the holidays, she had no idea it would completely change her life — via BuzzFeed video.

Your Bio Father is a Sperm Donor

Chloe Elizabeth, a donor-conceived person from Australia, shares highs and lows of her journey to discover her full identity.

Articles & Selected Resources

How-tos, guides, and other information for donor conceived people

DNA detectives and the end of family secrets

Sign up to a DNA site and you might uncover Viking ancestry – or who your father was. Adoptees and donor-conceived people can now make shock genetics discoveries with a simple saliva swab and they're doing it in droves.

The Jarring Experience of Learning You Were Conceived With Donor Sperm or Eggs

People conceived via sperm and egg donation share their personal experiences.

Sperm donor fathers reveal struggle of not knowing who their kids are

Formerly anonymous sperm donors share their motivations for connecting with their offspring and how their attitudes have evolved over time.

Law ending sperm donor secrecy helps Australian find her dad

This Associated Press article discusses the end of sperm donor anonymity in Victoria, Australia from the perspective of a former anonymous donor and his biological daughter.

Donor-conceived people are tracking down their biological fathers, even if they want to hide

Canadian donor-conceived adults share their perspective on anonymous sperm donation in this CBC article, including how in the age of DNA testing, 'anonymous' sperm donation is a thing of the past.

Just Found Out You’re Donor Conceived?

Here are five things you can do right now.

Finding the Lost Generation of Sperm Donors

This thoughtful feature article by Ashley Fetters for The Atlantic explores several issues surrounding donor conception, including DNA testing and the ethical implications of anonymity.

Donor-Conceived Children Demand Rights

This Newsweek article provides a comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding donor conception with supporting quotes from donor-conceived people who are advocates for the DC community.

There Are No More Secrets in Sperm Donation

Alexa Tsoulis-Reay's cover story for New York Magazine's The Cut features profiles of 14 donor conceived people born between 1945 and 2000.

Personal Stories

I am Bound by a Contract I Didn’t Sign

I first want to express my gratitude, love, and support for everyone in the donor conceived community. Being DC has hit me very, very hard. I've spent the past several months going to therapy, doing self-healing, seeking spiritual help, and contemplating my life direction.

I Am Not Your Secret

What’s wrong with donor conception? I don’t even know where to begin. To start with, apart from having no medical records, being conceived by ‘artificial insemination’ is just weird.

Familiar Strangers

When I got my first set of test results back in 2012, I made a bargain with myself that if I gave in to my irrepressible desire to find out who I was and where I came from, then I would be satisfied.

I Was Artificially Created

I am a donor-conceived person. This means that my mom went to a fertility clinic with a sperm bank and was artificially inseminated to get pregnant. She was/is a single mom and this was her only option. She elected to use an anonymous sperm donor.

Anything is Possible

I cannot describe what it feels like to see your father's face for the first time. I was on the couch and the lights were off, TV on, and the whole world stopped.

Dear Donor

Letters from donor conceived individuals to their biological fathers or other genetic family members in search of information and human connection.

Dear Donor Part 2

Letters from donor conceived individuals to their biological fathers or other genetic family members in search of information and human connection.

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Voices From The Offspring: Stories of Being Welcomed by Donor Fathers

Donor-conceived people fear rejection by their bio fathers, but that's not always the outcome.

Voices from the Offspring: Identity Formation

Donor conceived people discuss how not knowing the identity of a biological parent impacts their identity formation.

Q&As

Q&A: Laura McMillian of donorconceivedsupport.com

Laura McMillian offers coaching and mentoring to donor conceived individuals, their parents, and donors.

Q&A: DNA Detectives

Many DC people use DNA tests to unlock the mystery of their genetic heritage, learn more about their health, and even search for family members. To shed some light on how to go about the latter, we tapped a volunteer search assistant for tips about where to begin and how to get help.

Q&A: Nicholas Isel

Nicholas Isel was conceived using sperm from The Repository for Germinal Choice. His experience as a donor conceived person has been featured in books, radio programs, and an upcoming documentary. Most recently, Isel created an FDA petition that seeks to improve record keeping standards and make personal information about donors more readily accessible.

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