We Are Donor Conceived was launched in 2016 as a resource center for donor conceived people around the globe. It’s also a place where donor conceived people can share their stories to inspire greater understanding about the unique challenges donor conceived people experience.
If you are a donor conceived individual looking to connect with others in the same situation, please join our private Facebook group, exclusively for donor conceived people. We respect diversity and do not tolerate prejudice or discrimination in any form.
If you are a journalist or producer working on a story about DNA testing or donor conception, please direct your inquiries to [email protected]. We also welcome emails from researchers and academics studying donor conception.
WE ARE DONOR CONCEIVED MAGAZINE
The We Are Donor Conceived magazine contains inspiring and educational content that validates the lived experience of people created via sperm and egg donation Click here to learn more.
HELP AND GUIDES
Just Found Out You’re Donor Conceived?
Read this post to learn about five things you can do right now.
DNA Testing: 5 Steps to Get Started
Read this guide for tips for how to get started with DNA testing.
Featured VIDEOS
Welcome Message
If you just found out you were conceived using donated sperm or eggs, we want you to know you are not alone.
Relative Identity
When Danny Johnson was 13 years old, she learned her biological father was a mystery sperm donor.
The Need To Know
At age 29, Amber Van Moessner discovered the father who raised her was not her biological father.
Donor Siblings Documentary Short
This short documentary depicts Kianni Arroyo’s first meeting a with a donor conceived sibling in Florida.
Your Bio Father is a Sperm Donor
Chloe Elizabeth, an Australian DCP, shares highs and lows of her journey to discover her full identity.
Insight: Sperm Donation
Watch this episode of Insight to hear the the perspectives of donors, donor conceived people, and other experts.
SIBLINGS BELONG TOGETHER MUG
This unique mug designed by We Are Donor Conceived celebrates the special bond between donor siblings. Click here to order!
Shipping currently available to the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
NEWS & VIEWS
The Children of Sperm Donors Want to Change the Rules of Conception
Sarah Zhang interviewed several leading advocates for donor conceived people in this article for The Atlantic.
The Jarring Experience of Learning You Were Conceived With Donor Sperm or Eggs
People conceived via sperm and egg donation share their personal experiences.
Sperm donor fathers reveal struggle of not knowing who their kids are
Formerly anonymous sperm donors share their motivations for connecting with their offspring and how their attitudes have evolved over time.
Donor-conceived people are tracking down their biological fathers, even if they want to hide
Donor conceived adults share their perspective on sperm donation, including how “anonymous” sperm donation is a thing of the past.
Finding the Lost Generation of Sperm Donors
This feature article in The Atlantic explores issues surrounding donor conception, including DNA testing and the ethical implications of anonymity.
There Are No More Secrets in Sperm Donation
Alexa Tsoulis-Reay’s cover story for New York Magazine’s The Cut features profiles of 14 donor conceived people born between 1945 and 2000.
VOICES
Why the donor’s identity matters
Donor conceived people want to know the identity of their genetic parent(s) to varying degrees. Some have a burning desire to know everything about who they are and where they come from, while others are content with the information on a donor profile.
Living My Truth Set Me Free
I have been drowning for two years with two weights tied to my legs, pulling me beneath the surface, dragging me down. The first weight was my biological father ending our relationship, and subsequently being ignored by every member of his family.
I am not for sale. I am your daughter
My heart breaks for my friends and other fellow donor conceived people who have reached out to their sperm sellers and been rejected. To clarify, I use the term “sperm seller” because “sperm donor” does not correctly portray the American industry.
Waiting is the hardest part
I finally found the email of the man who I think is my donor dad. It took me about three weeks to work up the nerve to email him. I finally did, last night.
Why I’m angry about being donor conceived
Donor conceived people are sometimes criticized for being angry. I am one of them, and I’m ok with that.
I have 49 siblings (so far)
“Do you have any siblings?.” I’ve been asked that question so many times that I developed an automatic response: “No, I’m an only child.” Even when asked now, sometimes I’ll cut myself off in the middle of answering, reminding myself of my new reality.
Your dad is still your dad
Donor conceived people hear this a lot. And sure, on paper and in my heart he is, but he’s not in the nucleus of my every cell. He’s not in the chromosomes of my children, no matter how hard or how long I wished he was.
Would you rather not exist?
Those who pose existential questions like this cannot imagine the traumatic and confusing situations that many donor-conceived people regularly experience, and they are unable to see that the question itself is rude, hurtful, and irrelevant.
One child, three parents
“Your parents are the people who raised you,” says everyone who has a complex about that particular thing. I agree. They are. But so is he.