Exploration of how donor-conceived people navigate genetic relations
Nothing if not family? Genetic ties beyond the parent/child dyad (Cutas, 2023)
Cutas, D. (2023). Nothing if not family? Genetic ties beyond the parent/child dyad. Bioethics, 37(8), 763-770. https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.13213
Geographic Region: Sweden, Germany, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands
Research Question: What meaning and significance do genetic connections have beyond traditional parenthood relationships, particularly in the context of donor conception?
Design: Theoretical analysis of qualitative research findings, ethical arguments, and policy frameworks
Sample: The paper reviews multiple studies involving donor-conceived individuals, parents of donor-conceived children, sperm donors, and families involved in embryo donation.
Key Findings
Many donor-conceived people express strong interest in knowing their genetic relatives not for parental relationships but for identity and connection. Secure attachment to parents correlates with greater curiosity about genetic origins.
They often forge meaningful relationships with "donor siblings" (other children from the same donor). The nature of these relationships is unique, with many describing their donor sibling relationships as "better than regular friends." These connections are often based on a combination of shared genetic traits, the common experience of being donor-conceived, and a mutual interest in understanding their origins. These relationships can be especially valuable when formed during childhood rather than waiting until adulthood.
Donor-conceived people and their families are creating new terminologies to describe genetic relationships outside traditional family structures. Groups of same-donor siblings might refer to themselves as pods, networks, or clans, reflecting their distinctive position of being genetically related but outside conventional family frameworks. These networks possess remarkable characteristics that set them apart from typical family groups. They can span diverse geographical areas, social classes, religious backgrounds, and political orientations. This diversity breaks typical social barriers that usually limit family or friend groups, creating unprecedented social connections that wouldn't typically form through traditional family or friendship channels.
There are family relationships that one is born into - like having certain parents, siblings, or aunts and uncles. Children don't get to pick these; they're fixed or "rigid" and come from above (passed down). There are relationships one builds through life experiences, like choosing friends or partners. These are called "historical" relationships because they develop over time through personal choices. When we talk about people who are related through sperm or egg donation, their relationships are unique because they combine both types. There's a genetic connection (the rigid part), but the relationship itself is maintained by choice (the historical part).
Current regulatory frameworks often fail to support children's potential interests in knowing about genetic siblings.
Limitations: Focus primarily on Western contexts and perspectives. Limited discussion of cultural variations in understanding genetic relationships. Relies on existing qualitative research rather than new empirical data.
Applications:Â Highlights the need for policy frameworks acknowledging genetic connections beyond donors as genetic parents. Genetic connections shouldn't be seen as either "nothing" or "everything".
Funding Source: Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, grant number MAW2020.0074
Lead Author: Daniela Cutas is an associate professor of Medical Ethics at Lund University known for her work on family ethics and reproductive technologies.
Regulatory Context: Every country has a different approach to donor anonymity and information access.