Families working it out: adolescents' views on communicating about donor-assisted conception.

BACKGROUND

Prompted by legislation in Victoria, Australia, permitting gamete donors to seek identifying details of people conceived from their gametes, this research investigated the views of adolescents from the general population on how parents can best talk to their donor-conceived adolescent children about their conception.

METHODS

Qualitative interviews (six group discussions, n = two to six per group, and one individual interview) lasting c. 50 min with 25 secondary school students.

RESULTS

Naïve adolescents had views largely consistent with those of donor-conceived adults, for example, urging parental honesty, adaptation to individual children, and family cohesion. They identified the social father as the parent while acknowledging the significance of genetic connection to the donor. A minority asserted a preference for non-disclosure; all said that, if disclosed, it should be by parents.

CONCLUSIONS

This small study contributes to increasing understanding of communication within families about donor-assisted conception.