Brussels IVF Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Hum Reprod. 2024 Sep 1;39(9):2021-2031. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deae160.
Are donor-conceived adults in Belgium interested in obtaining donor information, and do these interests vary based on their family backgrounds?
Donor-conceived adults express a significant interest in obtaining donor-related information, with the highest interest reported by offspring from heterosexual couples compared to those from lesbian couple-parented or single-parent families.
In Belgium, sperm donation is mainly anonymous, but the rise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing challenges this anonymity.
STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This was a cross-sectional study involving an online nationwide survey conducted from July 2022 to October 2023. Participants, aged 18 years and older and being aware of their anonymous sperm donor-conceived status, were recruited through various channels.
PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: A total of 203 participants were included: 62.6% grew up in heterosexual families with infertile fathers, 26.1% with lesbian couples, 8.4% with single parents, and 3.0% in various or diverse family structures. The survey was available in both French and Dutch and consisted of 43 questions, including a mix of yes/no questions and multiple-choice items.
The average age of disclosure was 16.5 years, with notably later disclosure in heterosexual couple-parented households. A substantial 82.8% of donor-conceived individuals expressed a keen interest in obtaining non-personally identifiable donor information, while 69% were curious about personally identifiable donor data. Furthermore, 61.6% conveyed a desire for personal contact with their donors, and 26.6% advocated for the inclusion of the donor's name on their birth certificates. Participants raised in lesbian two-parent families exhibited the lowest level of interest in donor-related information compared with those raised in other family structures. An overwhelming 90.1% wondered about the possibility of having half-siblings from the same sperm donor. Analysis of survey responses on DNA database registration revealed that 55.2% of donor-conceived offspring were already registered, with 68.8% discovering the same donor offspring and 30.4% successfully locating their donors. Compared to individuals from other family structures, those raised in heterosexual couple-parented households exhibit a less positive attitude toward their conception through anonymous sperm donation. About 61.6% of donor-conceived individuals reported experiencing distinct emotions compared to their peers, while 44.1% encountered psychological difficulties related to anonymous sperm donation, primarily attributed to late disclosure. The majority supported the idea of informing the donor about the number of children he facilitated to conceive. Lastly, the study highlighted that 21.2% of donor-conceived adults considered becoming donors themselves, and 31.3% expressed willingness to use an anonymous donor whenever faced with fertility challenges.
LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Our sample size may not fully represent all adults conceived through anonymous sperm donation in Belgium. Participation bias may have influenced the results, especially due to the overrepresentation of participants from heterosexual couples. Additionally, an association exists between individuals raised by heterosexual couples and late disclosure, complicating the analysis by introducing a confounding factor.
The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the needs and preferences of donor-conceived adults, with significant potential impact on patient education and healthcare policy.
STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): Study funding was not obtained for this research. There are no conflicts of interest to disclose.
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比利时的供精生育成人是否有兴趣获取供体信息，这些兴趣是否因他们的家庭背景而异？
供精生育的成年人表达了获取与供体相关信息的浓厚兴趣，与来自异性恋夫妇家庭的后代相比，来自女同性恋伴侣或单亲家庭的后代报告的兴趣最高。
在比利时，精子捐赠主要是匿名的，但直接面向消费者的基因检测的兴起挑战了这种匿名性。
研究设计、规模、持续时间：这是一项横断面研究，涉及 2022 年 7 月至 2023 年 10 月期间进行的全国性在线调查。参与者年龄在 18 岁及以上，且知晓自己是匿名供精生育的成年人，通过各种渠道招募。
参与者/材料、设置、方法：共有 203 名参与者入选：62.6%的人在有不育父亲的异性恋家庭中长大，26.1%的人在女同性恋伴侣家庭中长大，8.4%的人在单亲家庭中长大，3.0%的人在各种或不同的家庭结构中长大。该调查有法语和荷兰语两种语言版本，共包含 43 个问题，包括混合了是/否问题和多项选择题。
平均披露年龄为 16.5 岁，异性恋夫妇家庭的披露时间明显较晚。相当多的 82.8%的供精生育成年人表示对获取非个人可识别供体信息非常感兴趣，而 69%的人对个人可识别供体数据感到好奇。此外，61.6%的人表示希望与供体进行个人接触，26.6%的人主张在出生证明上写上供体的名字。与其他家庭结构相比，在女同性恋伴侣家庭中长大的参与者对供体相关信息的兴趣最低。90.1%的参与者想知道是否有可能与同一供体的同父异母兄弟姐妹。对 DNA 数据库登记调查回复的分析表明，55.2%的供精生育后代已经登记，68.8%发现了相同的供体后代，30.4%成功找到了供体。与来自其他家庭结构的个体相比，在异性恋夫妇家庭中长大的个体对通过匿名精子捐赠受孕的态度不太积极。约 61.6%的供精生育成年人报告说与同龄人相比，他们经历了不同的情绪，而 44.1%的人在匿名精子捐赠方面遇到了心理困难，主要归因于披露时间晚。大多数人支持告知供体他帮助受孕的孩子数量的想法。最后，该研究强调，21.2%的供精生育成年人考虑自己成为供体，31.3%的人在面临生育挑战时愿意使用匿名供体。
局限性、谨慎原因：我们的样本量可能无法完全代表所有在比利时通过匿名精子捐赠生育的成年人。参与偏差可能会影响结果，特别是由于异性恋夫妇家庭的参与者过多。此外，在由异性恋夫妇抚养的个体与晚披露之间存在关联，这使得分析复杂化，引入了一个混杂因素。
这项研究的结果有助于更好地了解供精生育成年人的需求和偏好，对患者教育和医疗保健政策具有重要影响。
研究资金/利益冲突：本研究未获得研究资金。没有利益冲突需要披露。
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