Abstract

Drawing on the experiences of parents, offspring and donors and including her own and her family's story, this thought-provoking and informative book explores the process of donor conception. From finding out about an infertility problem, to considering whether - and how - to tell the children about their conception, and how those children feel as the adult offspring of a donor, she provides practical suggestions as well as in-depth consideration of the emotional and ethical issues involved.

Lorbach takes the reader step-by-step through the process of deciding to use donor conception, choosing a donor, and discussing the decision with others - and considers the perspective of the donor alongside those of parents and offspring. Tackling difficult subjects such as disclosure and offspring's access to information about the donor, this important book is a much-needed resource for health, counseling and social work professionals as well as for the couples and families themselves.

... an important contribution to contemporary debates on assisted conception services providing unique perspectives from donors, parents of donor-conceived children and donor-conceived people. It should be recommended to anyone contemplating becoming a donor or undergoing assisted conception services involving donated gametes... this book should [also] be compulsory reading for all those who provide donor conception services, regulators of donor conception services and legislators.
from the Foreword by Eric Blyth
Caroline Lorbach is the parent of three children conceived using donated sperm. She is the consumer advocate for the Donor Conception Support Group of Australia and is strongly involved in lobbying governments for the rights of people born through donor conception to have access to information about donors.