Keeping a child's donor sperm conception secret is not linked to family and child functioning during middle childhood: An Australian comparative study

Abstract

Background and Aim Controversy exists as to whether children conceived using donor sperm should be told about their origins and the possible deleterious effects of secrecy. Materials and Methods The Follow-Up of Children Conceived through Donor Insemination research compares 'family functioning' and 'child well-being' in 62 families where donor-conceived children aged between 5 and 13 years had been 'told' (N = 29) and 'not told' (N = 33) of their genetic heritage. Couples were treated through the Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research Reproductive Medicine Clinic. Standardised measures of family functioning and child well-being collected from mothers were modelled to estimate mean dif..