Donor Conception Network
| NEW - Volume 1 of Voices of Donor Conception, Behind Closed Doors: Moving Beyond Shame and Secrecy Edited by Mikki Morrissette in affiliation with the Donor Sibling Registry |
 This well balanced collection of essays, designed to promote discussion and openness around donor conception, was compiled by Wendy Kramer, founder with her son Ryan, of the Donor Sibling Registry and Mikki Morrissette author of Choosing Single Motherhood (see below). It contains three very different accounts from donor conceived adults, the thoughts and fears of a dad to two young DI conceived children, the reflections of a former donor, guidance on how to ‘tell’ children (by DCN’s Olivia Montuschi) and recommendations for long overdue changes in the reproductive medicine industry that would bring benefits for children, parents and donors. Website 2 copies in the library, to buy from DCN £7 plus postage or email |
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| Who Am I: experiences of donor conception |
 Review:This slim volume contains the stories of three donor conceived women, in their thirties, forties and fifties plus a foreward and afterward by Dr Alexina McWhinnie, now retired following a career as a Senior Research Fellow in Social Work and Law. Two of the women did not learn of their DC origins until they were 41 and 32, but both had had strong indicators that there was something very wrong in their family long before this. The third woman was told of her conception earlier (she does not say exactly when) but was not allowed to speak about it, the family being encouraged to live ‘normally’ ignoring the swirling undercurrents of deception. If ever there was a strong case made for openness from an early age this is it. The stories of these women stand as testaments to the bad old days of secrecy, shame and stigma. It is important that what they have to say is listened to, but it is puzzling that Dr. McWhinnie, a Network member, makes no reference at all in her Afterword to the work that DC Network is doing to change the family environment for the next generation of donor conceived adults. She tells me that she only wants to raise awareness of the complexity of human emotions that are involved in using donor conception for family creation and to make others aware of what can go wrong. DCN has always operated from exactly the same premise. It is a shame that Dr. McWhinnie did not think to acknowledge this. This book may be borrowed from the Library or it may be purchased from the Idreos Education Trust (idreostrust@hotmail.co.uk) for £6.50 Olivia Montuschi |
| Missing Links: Exploration into the Identity Issues of People Conceived via Donor Insemination Geraldine Hewitt 2001 |
| Geraldine was conceived by donor sperm in Australia in 1983. Her parents are the founders of the Donor Conception Support Group of Australia . This study was carried out as part of Geraldine's final year studies at school when age 18. Forty-six donor conceived people took part, the largest number of offspring to participate in any research. |
| ASSISTED HUMAN REPRODUCTION: PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL DILEMMAS Edited by Dani Singer and Myra Hunter Published by Whurr Publishers 2003 |
| Many of the contributors to this very accessible book are well known to Network members. Julia Feast writes on What we can learn from adoption, Eric Blyth on Contemporary policy and practice in the UK, Sharon Pettle (author of Choosing to tbe Open) on Psychological therapy and counselling with individual families and Ken Daniels on the International Perspective. There are also excellent chapters on Human reproduction and Human Rights, Children raised in assisted reproduction families: the evidence and Disclosure and Development; Taking the Baby Home is Just the beginning. There is a comprehensive list of resources with website addresses, both here in the UK and internationally. |
| GAMETE PRIVACY: SHOULD EGG AND SPERM DONORS BE ANONYMOUS? (2000) Published by the Progress Educational Trust |
| A report of the proceedings of a conference organised by a Charity, which aims to enhance public understanding of human reproduction and genetics. Speakers include Olivia Montuschi and Walter Merricks of the DC Network speaking about a child's need to know. Other speakers examine parents reasons for telling or not, and the issues for egg donation recipients. |
| MAKING BABIES: IS THERE A RIGHT TO HAVE CHILDREN? (2002) BOOK (2001) By Mary Warnock. Published by Oxford University Press. ISBN: 0192803344 |
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Mary Warnock steers a clear path through the web of complex issues
underlying the use of new reproductive technologies. She begins
by analysing what it means to claim something as a "right"
and goes on to discuss the cases of different sorts of people. She
also examines the ethical problems posed by IVF, egg donation and
surrogacy, and argues that in the future human cloning may become an acceptable form of treatment for some types of infertility. |
| HUMAN FERTILISATION AND EMBRYOLOGY: REGULATING THE REPRODUCTIVE REVOLUTION (2001) By Robert G. Lee and
Derek Morgan Published by Blackstone Press. ISBN: 1-84174-119-1 |
| Based on the earlier Guide to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, this book reviews the regulation of assisted conception and explores complex moral issues such as abortion, surrogacy, embryo research and cloning. It is aimed at doctors, lawyers and scientists involved in the treatment of infertility It offers a comprehensive guide to the 1990 HFEA act, as well as the legal and technical developments that have occurred since that time |
