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Chapter 4 - The Contact Expectations of Australian Sperm Donors Who Connect with Recipients via Online Platforms

from Part I - ‘DIY’ Donor Linking: Issues and Implications

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2023

By
Cal Volks  and
Fiona Kelly
Edited by
Fiona Kelly ,
Deborah Dempsey  and
Adrienne Byrt
Fiona Kelly
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Victoria
Deborah Dempsey
Affiliation:
Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria
Adrienne Byrt
Affiliation:
Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria
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Summary

While it is difficult to know exactly how often Australian women meet sperm donors online, the growth in online platforms for sperm donors and women to connect suggests the phenomenon is increasing. One reason cited for growth in the practice is that it gives donors the opportunity to develop a relationship with their donor offspring while the children are young. Drawing on qualitative interviews with sperm donors and media coverage of the phenomenon, this chapter considers the experience of donors who meet their recipient online and who have early contact with their offspring. It explores why donors choose to donate outside of the formal clinic environment, their expectations from early contact, and whether these expectations evolve over time. It concludes by considering the implications of increasing informal donation in a country where formal donation is legally regulated.

Keywords

assisted reproductionsperm donoronline donationdonor conception.
Type
Chapter
Information
Donor-Linked Families in the Digital Age
Relatedness and Regulation
 , pp. 67 - 84
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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