For the first time, a U.S. study examined the consequences of conception using sperm donation. A comparison was done between young adults born by this method versus children who were adopted or born to biological parents.
The study My Daddy’s Name Is Donor concludes that 52% of men and 48% of women born using donated sperm say they are at a disadvantage because of how they were conceived. Nearly 50% of them mention that they think about it several times a week.
Often uncomfortable in their own skin, 25% of young adults born using sperm donation feel totally misunderstood by other people. This is compared to 13% of adopted children and 9% of biological children.
In addition, 43% of young adults born using an anonymous donor were worried about having sex with a person who could have a relationship with them, compared to 16% of adopted people. The study also notes that 67% of these people would like to know more about their origins.
In light of these results, it is recommended that U.S. authorities lift the anonymity rules for donated sperm and limit the number of children each sperm donor can have.