Recent research
Published findings of studies completed with the participation of DC Network members
Topic |
Sample / Audience |
Year |
Title |
Summary |
Author detail |
Link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anonymity and the move to openness |
Donor conceived people
All families |
2021 |
Becoming Donor-Conceived: The Transformation of Anonymity in Gamete Donation |
While it has been argued that anonymity in gamete donation has been brought to an end by legal changes and technological developments, Amelie Baumann suggests that this is in fact still in transformation. By focusing on the narratives of those who were conceived with anonymously donated gametes in the UK and Germany, she examines this transformative process and the role which donor-conceived persons play in it. | Amelie Baumann |
Download the PDF copy or purchase the book
|
Unregulated sperm donation | All | 2019 | The Experiences of Recipients and Donors in an Unregulated Sperm Donation Context | Exploratory research to find out about incidences of ‘morally-challenging’ behaviour that might be occurring in the online sperm donation community. |
Georgina Forshall Leeds Becket |
Summary of findings document Project website - www.aiconfidential.co.uk/research |
Pregnancy |
Solo mums, Lesbian couples |
2019 |
The Circumstances of Pregnancy questionnaire: ensuring its relevance and acceptability to today's generation of new mothers. |
Review of a questionnaire used in UK maternity services and the National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles. The changes reflect the changing views and circumstances of pregnant women in the UK and further afield. |
Geraldine Barret UCL |
Barrett G, Nolan EM, Gürtin ZB, et al. J., Epidemiol Community Health 2020;74:765. |
Openness |
All |
2019 |
A review of the Donor Conception Network's Our Story books |
This study conducted a cross-sectional survey with DCN members and non-members to evaluate the use of the Our Story book range in terms of parent/s and children confidence in their donor conception story. |
Ishaq Abdul, Prof. Joyce Harper UCL |
Short summary published in DCN journal (2019) |
Surrogacy |
Heterosexual couples |
2019 |
Surrogacy men's experience in heterosexual couples |
A qualitative study of male partners in heterosexual couples experience becoming dads through surrogacy. |
Christina Weis, Wendy Norton De Montfort |
Short summary published in DCN journal (2020) |
Donors |
All |
2018 |
Curious Connections: The Impact of Donating Egg and Sperm on Donors' Everyday Life and relationships |
This study explored how donating eggs or sperm impacts on the everyday lives and relationships of donors. It reviewed the UK policy context to donation and the rights and obligations of donors and their families. It also looked at how egg and sperm donors negotiate donation within their everyday lives and relationships. |
Leah Gilman, Petra Nordqvist University of Manchester |
Leaflet: Being an egg or sperm donor: balancing ‘being available’ with ‘knowing your place’? Online event (2020) Curious Connections: The social life of egg and sperm donation: |
Solo parenthood |
Solo mums |
2018 |
Single mothers by choice & Social Change: An interdisciplinary and cross-national study |
The study analysed and compared the experiences and motivations of women in becoming single mothers by choice across the UK and Spain. |
Anna Bravo-Moreno UCL |
Bravo-Moreno, A. (2021). Reproductive agency, assisted reproductive technology & obstetric violence. Health Care for Women International. Bravo-Moreno, Ana. 2021. "The Intersection of Reproductive, Work-Life Balance and Early-Education and Care Policies: ‘Solo’ Mothers by Choice in the UK and Spain" https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10120458Social Sciences 10, no. 12: 458.
|
Donors |
All |
2018 |
Egg donation in the UK, Belgium and Spain: An interdisciplinary study |
This study (‘EDNA’ for short) explored the social, political, economic and moral configuration of |
Nicky Hudson De Montfort University |
EDNA project blog |
Parenthood in non-heterosexual family types |
Solo mums Solo dads Same-sex couples |
2018 | Marginalised families online: Exploring the role of digital media for parents in diverse family groups | This study explored the experiences of single and/or LGB parents who have brought children in to their lives through donor conception or adoption and their use of digital media. |
Jai Mackenzie University of Nottingham |
Link to Jai Mackenzie's staff page and publications See Jai's blog, regularly updated with publications and more. The film resulting from the project can be viewed here. |
Health outcomes | All | 2018 |
Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults |
This study compared the self-reported health outcomes for adults conceived through donor sperm (n=272) and those conceived naturally. There were higher reports of some health conditions in the donor-sperm conceived group, including for type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, acute bronchitis, allergies, sleep apnoea and having ear tubes/grommets surgically implanted. |
Damian Adams Flinders University, Australia |
Adams, D.H., Gerace, A., Davies, M.J. & de Lacey, S. (2021) Self-reported mental health status of donor sperm-conceived adults. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, pp. 1 - 11.
Adams, D.H., Gerace, A., Davies, M., & de Lacey, S. (2020). Self-reported physical health status of donor sperm-conceived adults. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 1-14. |