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Donor Family Matters

How to counsel and connect with donor families

Family Dynamics
Widening the Family Circle: Sperm and Egg Donors' Families

Wendy Kramer on October 15, 2024

Partners, parents, and children of former donors need to be informed about the donations and any resulting children. Honest, open, and early family discussions are crucial.

Partners, parents, and children of former donors need to be informed about the donations and any resulting children. Honest, open, and early family discussions are crucial.

Trauma
Bypassing Trauma in Donor-Conceived People

Wendy Kramer on September 18, 2024

Parents can build and expand their donor families by practicing early disclosure and by facilitating early donor-family connections to circumvent trauma in donor-conceived people.

Parents can build and expand their donor families by practicing early disclosure and by facilitating early donor-family connections to circumvent trauma in donor-conceived people.

Identity
Donor-Conceived People: The Search for Ancestry and Identity

Wendy Kramer on August 19, 2024

For donor-conceived people, the journey to discover their ancestry is crucial for shaping identity, understanding health risks, and fostering a sense of belonging.

For donor-conceived people, the journey to discover their ancestry is crucial for shaping identity, understanding health risks, and fostering a sense of belonging.

Family Dynamics
Enhancing Family Connections in Donor Conception

Wendy Kramer on August 5, 2024

Simplifying and clarifying donor conception processes enhances family connections, prioritizes children's well-being, and fosters meaningful relationships with donor relatives.

Simplifying and clarifying donor conception processes enhances family connections, prioritizes children's well-being, and fosters meaningful relationships with donor relatives.

Family Dynamics
Donor Families: Mutual Consent Contact

Wendy Kramer on June 19, 2024

A Personal Perspective: Mutual consent contact ensures both parties are ready to connect, providing a more positive experience than DNA websites' often unexpected results.

A Personal Perspective: Mutual consent contact ensures both parties are ready to connect, providing a more positive experience than DNA websites' often unexpected results.

Anxiety
Gamete Donors Connecting With Offspring and Their Families

Wendy Kramer on May 30, 2024

Donors can experience a range of emotions, including uncertainty about contact with unknown genetic offspring, fear of managing relationships, and fear of rejection.

Donors can experience a range of emotions, including uncertainty about contact with unknown genetic offspring, fear of managing relationships, and fear of rejection.

Genetics
Accurate Terminology in Egg Donation Families

Wendy Kramer on April 30, 2024

Donor-conceived people can be empowered to explore and celebrate their origin story while embracing accurate language and accurately acknowledging genetic contributions.

Donor-conceived people can be empowered to explore and celebrate their origin story while embracing accurate language and accurately acknowledging genetic contributions.

Identity
The Ethical Sperm Bank: An All-Open Sperm Bank

Wendy Kramer on January 25, 2024

Personal Perspective: It's time for sperm banks to stop keeping people from their ancestry, family medical information, and close relatives for the first 18 years of life.

Personal Perspective: It's time for sperm banks to stop keeping people from their ancestry, family medical information, and close relatives for the first 18 years of life.

Genetics
DNA Matters: Psychological Differences in Donor Families

Wendy Kramer on January 4, 2024

Knowing one's family medical history and having updated information on the psychological health of unknown genetic relatives is crucial for donor family members.

Knowing one's family medical history and having updated information on the psychological health of unknown genetic relatives is crucial for donor family members.

Family Dynamics
Contacting a Gamete Donor for the First Time: The Letter

Wendy Kramer on November 1, 2023

Whether you're a parent to a donor-conceived person (DCP) or a DCP yourself, reaching out to a biological parent for the first time can be an exciting yet nail-biting experience.

Whether you're a parent to a donor-conceived person (DCP) or a DCP yourself, reaching out to a biological parent for the first time can be an exciting yet nail-biting experience.

Genetics
Sperm Banks, Egg Facilities, and the Backfire Effect

Wendy Kramer on October 2, 2023

The backfire effect helps to explain why gamete brokers often struggle with changing policy in light of new evidence presented to them about donor families.

The backfire effect helps to explain why gamete brokers often struggle with changing policy in light of new evidence presented to them about donor families.

Family Dynamics
Gamete Sellers: It's More Than Just a Financial Transaction

Wendy Kramer on September 5, 2023

There are many commonalities in egg and sperm donors' experiences. Here are some topics and concerns that can be pondered privately or shared with a therapist or family members.

There are many commonalities in egg and sperm donors' experiences. Here are some topics and concerns that can be pondered privately or shared with a therapist or family members.

Family Dynamics
Donor-Conceived Children Meeting Their Half-Siblings

Wendy Kramer on August 7, 2023

How old should a child be before they meet their half-siblings? While this is an easy question to answer for most, some parents make it unnecessarily complicated.

How old should a child be before they meet their half-siblings? While this is an easy question to answer for most, some parents make it unnecessarily complicated.

Infertility
Why Is There a Shortage of Black Egg and Sperm Donors?

Wendy Kramer on July 27, 2023

Collaboration between health care and mental health professionals and the donor family community is vital for creating a more diverse donor conception landscape.

Collaboration between health care and mental health professionals and the donor family community is vital for creating a more diverse donor conception landscape.

Relationships
Reaching Out to Sperm and Egg Donors

Wendy Kramer on July 5, 2023

Reconciling the risks and rewards of connecting with a formerly anonymous donor can be daunting. Quite often, the rewards far outweigh the risks, which can be managed.

Reconciling the risks and rewards of connecting with a formerly anonymous donor can be daunting. Quite often, the rewards far outweigh the risks, which can be managed.