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Key points
- Millions of people across the globe have been conceived by donated eggs or sperm.
- People conceived by donors have equal or better psychological well-being as non-donor-conceived people.
- There is evidence that people can struggle with their identity when they first learn they are donor-conceived.
Researchers estimate that there are upwards of 1 million Americans who were conceived using donor egg or sperm. Anonymous donation, in which the donor's identity is not available to the donor-conceived person, is common in the U.S. and Canada, while many European countries require the donor’s identity be disclosed when the donor-conceived person turns 18.
A growing body of evidence investigates the psychological effects of donor conception both in childhood and later in life. This summer, researchers at King’s College in London published a systematic review of studies investigating the psychological experiences of donor-conceived people in the United Kingdom in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. To date, it’s the largest body of evidence on the psychological factors affecting people conceived through sperm and egg donation.
The review includes qualitative and quantitative data from 50 studies with more than 4,500 adult and child participants. On the whole, the evidence found that donor-conceived people have equal or better psychological outcomes than individuals conceived without using a donor. On average, donor-conceived participants scored higher on measurements of well-being and reported higher levels of self-esteem and relationship warmth compared with people not conceived using a donor.
The review also found that people conceived via donors had better psychological outcomes when they were told at a young age that they were conceived using a donor.
The review did find that a minority of donor-conceived people reported mental health and identity struggles, including difficulties with identity formation, mistrust, and concerns regarding genetic heritage. Over the longer term, researchers found evidence of significant shifts in family relationships after learning that they were conceived by a donor. It’s important to note, however, that the evidence about this population is limited.
A smaller survey of adults conducted in 2021 by researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Center for Bioethics provides some data about how donor-conceived individuals feel about the nature of their conception. Those researchers collected survey responses from 143 adults conceived with donor egg or sperm; about 94% were conceived anonymously. Nearly 85% reported a change in their “sense of self” when they learned they were conceived via a donor; about 50% received counseling to cope with the discovery. Nearly 74% said they “often” or “very often” think about the nature of their conception.
The take-home message: On the whole, people conceived by donor egg or sperm have equal or better psychological outcomes compared to people conceived traditionally. The evidence also shows that donor-conceived individuals fare better psychologically when they are told how they were conceived at an early age.
